Pokemon: The Long Way 'Round
by Johnny Gu-Wop
Summary: Pokemon: The Long Way 'Round, continues Frost and Megan's journey to the Pokemon League. In this second entry in the saga, new friends are made, new mysteries are uncovered, and new surprises await. Part 2, concerns their attempts to keep the evils of Team Rocket and Selthwood from enrapturing all of Santem.
1. prologue

Prologue

What is it about us, that make us unique? We are vastly intelligent, we are strong willed, and we, above all other life on Earth, desire power. Even the humblest, and most well-meaning of people, can change. Change into something they never thought they were capable of being. Why? Well, I suppose that's one mystery, we will never solve.

However, mysteries are more interesting when you don't know the answer. After all, if we knew the answers to all of life's' imponderables. Who are we? Why are we here? No one has found answers to these questions yet. I can't imagine answers will be found any time soon. Can we get a better understanding of ourselves by observing the Earth? Or maybe the ever expanding sea. Maybe, even in the stars.

What about Pokémon? What mysteries do they contain that we have yet to solve? To put it simply, the answers we seek are not deep in the abyssopelagic zone of the sea, nor to the distant stars' trillions of light years from here. The answers we seek, we carry inside. Which is interesting, despite our interminable brilliance, can't answer a question. Where did Pokémon come from? Why are they here? What dark and sinister purpose do those creatures have on this planet?

Science has tried to answer this question for decades, and religious groups have tried for even longer than that. The Monks for example, were among the wisest of all human beings. Understanding the meaning behind evidence and so far, very little can be told. There is an answer for everything, I'm sure the riddle of the origin of Pokémon may yet be answered, but for now, the Monks dedicate their time and energy to show respect to these magnificent creatures.

For sixteen generations, the Monks worshiped these beasts. Every Mudkip, every Chimchar, every Pachirisu. There is no Pokémon in the world that is not considered special. Their faith is based upon the very existence of them. Without Pokémon, the entire Monk culture would collapse. They seek to understand where they came from, and why they are here.

Long ago, (four hundred million years, give or take,) our world was blessed with these magnificent beings. Carbon dating puts their upbringing sometime during the Devonian Period, beginning with primitive species like Kabuto before they went extinct one hundred million years or so, later. Wherever they came from, however they got here, they came just the same.

All living things have something in common, and Pokémon are no exception. The secret to their creation lies within. Religious people will tell you about the Pokémon "god", Arceus, while the scientific minds of the world, suspect a darker and more sinister explanation. Conflicts between those with different views tear people apart. Bringing about the end of an age. It is sad when the day comes that views tear people apart. It is sad when alliances are lost and enemies are formed, and from what?

For hundreds of years, the monks were considered the wisest of beings. Never to shy away from defending the meek, and protecting the world. They knew that the source of the conception of the Pokémon, could be found in faith, not science. They knew that answers were found in the most unlikely places. They knew that the secrets of the universe, were in the palms of their hands.

Believe me when I say, that while having different views make us unique, it is also very dangerous. Fact or fiction, truth or lies, the monks had never worried about upsetting those who disagree, because they did not interact with people regularly. Up until Frost began his journey, the monks had, to be totally honest, deliberately began to shy away from the people beyond their borders.

Something however, made them stir, something caught their attention, Master Hu could feel deep down, that something was wrong. His part of the story, has yet to be explored. For now, we must focus on Frost. As of now, Frost, and his friends Megan and Cyndaquil, have been on the road for almost five months. Thus far, Frost has accumulated three badges from gym leaders across the nation. Now, let me see…ah yes, yes, of course, let me continue.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Frost woke with a fright, breathing heavily. Megan, who was sleeping next to him, up against a tree, woke to the sound of his horrified gasp. She leaned over to see what was troubling the young boy. "Frost, what is it? What's wrong?"

Frost began to relax, realizing he was only having a bad dream. He turned to Megan, still bothered by what he saw. "I had a nightmare, that's all. In my dream, somewhere, out in the vast world, a neck beard and a twelve-year-old were arguing about me. The twelve-year-old was winning,"

"Well, it's okay now. You said it yourself, it was just a dream. Try and go back to sleep, the sun isn't even up yet," Megan readjusted herself against the tree. Clefairy, and Cyndaquil were laying together by a rock. Far from civilization, and yet, not even close the borders of Selthwood, they felt so melancholy and alone. Which is interesting, because they had been on their own for several months.

Still, they could not help but feel homesick. Even Megan, who was beginning to miss her family. She had, unbeknownst to Frost, was wondering whether or not to go back. She came along with Frost to see the world, and compete in contests. So far, much to her disappointment, was only able to enter one, and lost, miserably. She knew that Clefairy was more than happy to spend time with her friends.

For despite coming from a, to say the least, hostile environment, that was all she had. No matter what they did to her, they were family. Family was important to her, but she could never get any satisfaction or joy from spending time with them. Now with Frost, she was free from a home that did not appreciate her, she was ready to unlock her potential. What would she have to look forward to by going back? She would be returning to the yelling matches between the mother and father. Return to a home where she was treated like a dog on a leash. Not allowed to make a name for herself.

As long as she was with her friend, she could allow herself to be anything she set her mind to. How could she go back? That's nonsense, it's poppycock. She put it out of her mind, and closed her eyes. Come morning, she would be on the road again, and she would be fine.

They woke up later, Frost suspected that it was around noon. "Selthwood is a few hours from here, if we hurry we may yet get there by nightfall," He guessed. Before he could speak again however, several trucks carrying construction equipment came driving past. "What is going on here?" Frost pondered. He and Megan blew it off, and they continued down the dusty trail.

"Maybe they are filling potholes in the road," Megan guessed. "You know how these roads get beaten up by the harsh weather, road construction is very common,"

"Don't be silly, down here, the sun always shines. Besides, those are forest trails, not main roads. Why would construction workers want to fix them?" Even the most bumbling of fools could tell you. There were main roads that could have been taken, but most of them are only accessible by car. So traveling across them were out of the question.

East Maple Road, for example, which begins somewhere in Downtown Tougargh, and joins the freeway, which runs for several hundred miles out and around Selthwood, up past the Shuourok River, and right to Western Palendome City, is quite out of the way. In fact, despite passing Selthwood and going straight to Palendome, which is where the Pokémon League is based in, that road would take Frost past over eight different cities, each with their own gym and badges.

Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but avoiding collecting gym badges would not be in any trainer's best interest. So, Frost had no choice but to take the long way, and collect as many badges as he could. Besides, he needed at least eight, and the road to Palendome was long, passing by several cities and towns. Regardless, Frost already had three, and the fourth lay on the other side of the forest.

Now, Frost and Megan were moving closer to the border, and soon, they could see the tops of the trees. "There it is. Now, all we have to do is find the fastest way around," Megan said.

"Well, I suppose it would be…" Frost was about to finish his sentence, but he stopped when they saw the construction workers from earlier. From what they could see, the workers had set up a site. Bulldozers were digging and cones and signs had been put up.

"What is going on here?" Megan wondered. There is no gain in operating on a dirt path. Perhaps, as Frost and Megan guessed, they were putting in cement. "Perhaps we should find someone to ask,"

Towards the borders of the forest, they could see only one path, and that was the path that led straight through the forest. Up close, the forest had an unappealing and foreboding look. Clefairy and Cyndaquil seemed more nervous than Frost and Megan about going in. High above the ground, the branches of the trees were withered and sickly in appearance. Covering the branches, were not green leaves, but brown and dying leaves instead. Selthwood, was up until recently, a very clean cut, and friendly forest, just like any other.

Now, it is sick. Nothing grows in it anymore, leastways nothing good. Woodsmen, who had at one time, thrived in the great forest, began to leave, and are now completely gone. Even from the outside, Frost and Megan could see, that beyond the borders, was a mist. Now there was something even more to worry about. If the size and unpleasant appearance of the forest was not enough, there needed to be fog. Frost guessed that it got thicker and thicker in density as it moved deeper in the forest.

"I sure do hope the trails around the forest are not cut off," Megan began to worry. "We can't afford to get lost in that," Clefairy looked worried. She could feel that something was wrong with the forest. Pokémon, unlike human beings were more in tune with nature. They had a sort of sixth sense that alerted them when danger was nearby. Clefairys sixth sense was telling her, and Cyndaquil too, that there was something in the thick of the trees, that they did not want to come across.

Clefairy pulled at Megans hair, trying to tell her to find another way. "Clefairy, knock it off," Megan scorned. Clefairy stopped, and then hopped off of her shoulder and ran off, with Cyndaquil following close behind. The two of them ran up and started playing on some construction equipment. "Hey, Clefairy Cyndaquil! Please come back!" Megan shouted.

"Take it easy, Megan. Let them have some fun. Right now, let's talk to someone and see if we cannot get some information about what's happening here," Frost looked at her. The two of them, approached a muscular young man operating a jackhammer. He noticed the children approaching him, and he got off the machine to greet them.

"Well, look here," He smiled. "You two must be Pokémon trainers. Am I not correct?" Frost and Megan exchanged looks.

"Yes," Megan answered quickly. She could see the confusion on the mans' face.

"Yes, I'm wrong, or yes, you are trainers?" He asked. He was only kidding of course, but Megan and Frost did not know this, and he wanted to see how far he could push this.

"Yes, we are trainers. Yes, you are correct," Frost answered. "We happened to be passing by, and we were wondering if we could ask you a few questions,"

"I suppose I could spare a few minutes," the man answered. "Frost off, call me Ron, and who might you two be?" He asked.

"My name is Frost,"

"I am Megan,"

"Well, it's very nice to meet you. What has been on your mind?" Ron shook both their hands.

Frost looked towards the forest, just waiting for them a few yards away. "We were wondering about all of this construction work going on here was all about. Also, we were curious about the trails through and around the forest,"

"Well we are putting in cement roads down here. Just your luck that we are blocking out the best route around Selthwood. The only other route around takes you almost a hundred and thirty miles out of your way," He apologized.

"So, I suppose our best bet to get to Kelivarth, is to go straight through the forest," Frost sighed.

"I'm afraid so, but be careful. Lot of strange stuff has been happening in there," Ron warned. "Be careful to not to get lost,"

"We certainly will," Megan assured him. "Thank you for your time,"

"Don't mention it, you may want to reacquire your Pokémon, before they get hurt," He smiled, and went back to work.

"Okay, I guess we are going to have to face the untold perils of Selthwood," Frost groaned. "I'll go collect Cyndaquil and Clefairy," He went off to get them. Cyndaquil, was climbing on a stack of cement blocks, and Clefairy was jumping in a mud puddle.

"Clefairy, you need to stay close. How many times do I have to tell you? It's dangerous out here, and I'm trying to keep you safe," Megan scorned as Clefairy returned with Frost and Cyndaquil. Clefairy frowned, and climbed up on her shoulder. "We best be off, we can get pretty deep in the forest by nightfall,"

"Yeah, I guess so," Frost said nervously. He did not want to let Megan on, but he was very afraid of the forest, based on what Professor Maillak and Master Hu had said about it. Perhaps, if he was lucky, he would meet up with Professor Maillak, who had talked to Hu about studying something in the forest. Then, Frost began to wonder about Master Hu. He had left in a hurry, and was not too concerned with divulging information. Frost was sure that, despite his curiosity, this business of his was of no concern to him. So he took a deep breath, and decided to focus on the forest that lay at his feet.

Master Hu, was still in town, if you must know. He was busy investigating the rumors and speculations surrounding the forest. If the Monks would not give him aid, then he would be forced to handle the situation on his own. So, he made his way to a bar, where people are always gossiping. Inside, the bar was somewhat steady. Several patrons were dancing to the music over the radio, and the bartender was stocking liquor on the shelf.

Master Hu approached the bartender. "Excuse me, may I have a moment of your time?" He asked. He smiled his usual smile as the bartender set down the booze on the counter.

"Sure thing buddy, what do you need?" He asked.

"I have come to get some information; do you know of any woodsman in the area?" Master Hu looked around at the people.

"There," The bartender pointed to an elderly man in a far corner, far from the others. "His names Karter. He used to live in the woods, whatever information you seek, he can help you with,"

"Thank you," Master Hu smiled and approached the elderly man. He sat down across from him at the table. "Mind if I join you?" He asked rhetorically. "I'm sorry, my name is Hu, I'm a monk," He kept on smiling as the old man looked up to him, and set down his mug.

"I can see that, what is it that you want?" He asked glumly, obviously not interested in who he was or what he wanted.

"I can see that you are not in the mood for talking, so I won't beat around the bush. What can you tell me about Selthwood?" He asked.

"Selthwood? Why would you want to know about that god forsaken place?" He was fully surprised by Hus' question.

"I understand that there have been some issues surrounding those wicked trees. I understand that those who used to live there, have either left, or disappeared," Master Hu took a drink form the mans' mug, but he took no notice.

"I can agree with that," The old man chuckled. "Just a few weeks ago, my family and I went hiking through the forest. That was, of course, back when Selthwood was still beautiful, before all this terrible stuff started happening to it."

"What do you know of this…person. The one they call The Zetigrah?" Master Hu slowly began to feel a great sense of urgency and fear.

"When my family and I went hiking, we got lost in the thick fog. We became separated, I managed to find my way out, but they did not. Several days went by before a search party found them. There before my eyes, I could see my wife, and son and daughter, drained completely of their blood, their skin dry. Something had been feeding on them,"

"What about the Zetigrah, is there someone in that forest?" Master Hu was getting stern and impatient.

"All I can say to you Master Monk, is beware the Zetigrah, his reign over the forest is just beginning. Beware the Zetigrah, he is not what he seems," He warned. Master Hu smiled, and looked out the window to see the forest. Even this far from the forest, it still had a dizzying and threatening appearance.

Master Hu thanked the man for his time, and made his way to the exit. He was stopped by the bartender, who offered him a drink before leaving. "You get what you need?" He asked.

"Why yes, I must say, I'm sorry to hear about his family," He sympathized.

"Yeah, he never quite got over that, never remarried either. Thirty years is a long time," The bartender frowned.

"Thirty years? No my friend, he lost his family just a few weeks ago," Master Hu corrected him.

"His family has been dead for thirty years," The bartender reassured him. Master Hu turned back to Karter, who got up and left in a bit of a hurry. Whatever was going on in the forest, was just the beginning. That creature in the forest was tightening his grip, and Master Hu was well aware he could not overthrow him alone.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

After only walking forward a few yards into the forest, already Frost and Megan were debating whether or not to turn back. Selthwood was unappealing on the outside, but now that they were inside, the forest was even less appealing. The tops of the trees wound together like a ball of yarn, cutting off the sunlight. There were scarce rays of sunlight passing through, but they were dim. Towards the top of the trees, the leaves were bunched together and normal, but as the branches descended, they looked old and sick, as if they had been poisoned,a nd their life was slowly drainig.

Underneath the towering trees, a feeling of loneliness came over them, even though they had each other. Clefairy and Cyndaquil both held on tightly to their masters, praying to Arceus they would not fall off and get lost forever. Looking back, the menacing branches of the trees, wound so tight, that it seemed the forest was closing in behind them. Megan tried not to be afraid, but all the terrible things she had heard about the forest, returned to haunt her memories.

Deeper and deeper they descended into Selthwood, and the look of it all did not improve. Frost noticed that the fogs density increased tenfold. Soon the seemingly amaranthine mist grew so thick, that they struggled to see five feet in front of their faces. Megan had on numerous occasions, tripped over a rock, or bumped into a tree branch dangling down. Often times, she would catch her balance, but more often than not, she would fall on the muddy, moss covered ground.

Clefairy would dust her off and help her up if she fell, and scramble as fast as she could, back onto Megans shoulders. Cyndaquil and Clefairy, unbeknownst to their human companions had begun to feel even more nervous than they should have. For Pokémon, have a sort of sixth sense. At any given time, they can sense when danger is nearby or on the way, and Clefairy and Cyndaquil were feeling it.

Neither Pokémon could tell what was going to happen, or where, or when or why. All that was certain, was that they did not want to be in the forest for even a single nanosecond longer than they had to. Every minute counted towards them, and the faster they got out of the sub fuscous forest, the better. A feeling of dismal insignificance began to take over both Megan and Frost, and fear, had now compeltly over taken them

"Frost, stay close, this place is unbeauteous enough without being lost. So please, don't get too far ahead," Megan whispered. She jumped at a sound coming from the trees, which turned out to be her own voice echoing through the endless clouds, and reverbiating off of the trees, filling the empty void of silence.

"Megan, try not being so loud," Frost nagged. "Our trip through here would be much better off if we did not attract any attention. Wildlife or otherwise,"

Megan took a deep breath. "What's the otherwise?" She asked nervously. Clefairy was more scared than ever.

"Just keep your voice down, okay? We will be much better off if our presence here goes unnoticed," Frost told her under his breath. In a scary, dark, and foggy forest, all that was left that could exacerbate the situation was to anger the wildlife. However, from what Frost could see, there was little life in the woods.

Occasionally, they would hear a rustling of a bush, which would reveal itself to be a Pineco or a Spinarak, but that was a very rare case. More often than not however, it would be them knocking into a bush and scaring themselves silly. No sound, no light, all alone in a merciless and dank forest, with only themselves to keep company.

As the sky above grew dark, the forest only grew more menacing. Frost could see the stars slowly winking out their lights, and drifting clouds completely hid the moon from sight. Frost and Megan had decided to set up camp, right at the very witching hour of night. Megan found several pieces of wood and tried to make a fire, but Frost quickly put it out. "Hey, what are you doing?" Megan whined.

"No fires, not here," Frost whispered. They crawled up and into an uprooted tree, and tried to get the best sleep they could, given the situation of course. Megan leaned up against Frost, who was most surprised by this. "What are you doing?" He asked.

"Just staying close for warmth, I'm afraid," She yawned. Frost sighed as Megan wrapped her arms around him. "Now go to sleep, we need to cover great distances tomorrow,"

There, underneath the fallen tree, they slept. They slept better there than they had in days, what with all the hullabaloo about them. Frost, had a wonderful dream about being the Pokémon champion. He had accumulated over twelve different badges, and a whopping two hundred Pokémon, including legendary Pokémon such as Lugia or Suicune.

He had just beaten the Elite Four, and the number one champion of them all. Someone named Camille, who Frost had heard was very skilled with several types of Pokémon, but she preferred to use Bug types. However, Frost easily dispatched her Pokémon, one after another. There wasn't a Pokémon in existence that could stand a chance against his power. He claimed the title of Pokemon Master, fulfilling his destiny, and the Monks prophecy.

Megan, found herself in a beautiful valley with Clefairy and the gang. Clefairy and Linoone were playing by a tree and Ralts was picking berries off of a shrub by the creek. She was just finishing a cup of tea, two lumps as always. Zubat flew down and landed on her shoulder. The valley was so peaceful, the river, trees and mountains in the distance, Megan was spinning and dancing with her friends.

Megan noticed a cloud in the distance coming close. As she tried to grab her dancing Pokémon, they slowly leapt away, out of reach, and she could not catch them. She called their names over and over, and over again, but not one among them stopped or even turned their head. As Clefairy and Zubat and the rest moved further away, Megan became tired and slowed down to a halt.

She cried their names louder and louder, praying they would stop, but soon they vanished out of sight. She was alone in this valley, as the dark cloud completely covered the sun. Rain began to pour down, drenching Megan. She stopped for a moment and tried to grab shelter under a tree, but the trees disappeared once she got close. Off somewhere in the distance she could hear voices.

These voices echoed over the valley, and seemed to come from behind. So she turned around to see her parents standing there, upright and arms crossed. "Megan," The father began, "What do you think you are doing out here?" He sternly asked.

"I'm training to be a Contest Runner. For my name will be up in lights, and I will have my Pokémon become world famous," She gloated. Neither of her parents were pleased, actually, they got only angrier.

"You are not going to do anything of the sort. In fact, you are coming home with us," The mother ordered, and grabbed Megans arms and started pulling. As Megan resisted, the mother's strength only increased. Overpowering her and dragging Megan away. "Your friend will only hold you back, best to come home and achieve nothing than to give yourself the false hope that you can!"

"Let me go!" Megan cried. Just then, she woke up with a gasp. She found herself in a whole new day. Still however, in the thick of Selthwood, she wished she was still in that valley. There was some good news however, the fog, which had at first been impossible to navigate, was loosening up. Eventally, the fog dispersed altogether.

Now, the two of them could have a good look at the murky, depressing woodland that surrounded them. Immediately, a feeling of anxious perturbation pooled into their minds, as the two heroes prepared for another day of walking. Clefairy and Cyndaquil made extra sure to stay close together. As the scarce rays of sun broke through the barrier set up by the trees, the grueling forest began to appear ever so slightly less intimidating. Frost pulled out his cantina, and took a look at his map. "Frost, one day down, countless more to go," He drank form his cantina.

"Let's just go and get this over with," Megan yawned. "The sooner we get out of this god forsaken place, the better,"

For several hours they trekked aimlessly though the forest, not sure if they were even coming close to the other side. They walked, and walked, and walked, and after several hours, they had officially become lost. "I do believe we have lost our way," Frost groaned. "The map of the area is not helpful at all," Frost looked at it, and all the trails were fading away, probably due to the level of humidity and moisture in the forest.

Due to the humidity, Frost and Megan were both having problems with their sinuses, and had trouble breathing. Wonderful, just peachy, as if the forest itself wasn't bad enough. "Let's see," Frost examined the map. "If we take this path coming up on the left, that will bring us closer to the river. From there we can follow it to Kelivarth and out of this dreadful place,"

Frost and Megan decided to follow the path, and Frost walked right into a patch of spider webs. Megan had a good laugh at first, even though it was not really all that funny, and when Megan did the same moments later, Frost laughed harder than he had in days. "It isn't funny," Megan scorned, wiping the gooey substance off of her.

"Yes it is," Frost stated bluntly. "Now, if you are done, we have a long journey to the other side," Frost paced the map back in his bag. For several hours, they passed through minor openings in the woods, where the unpleasant sight of the thick woods began to diminish ever so microscopically. When they came to a small river, not too small however, they still could not cross it, Megan suggested they find another way around it.

So off they went, backtracking till they could safely pass it. The two of them continued to walk, passing through thick banks of fog, and over several hills, before something caught their attention. Just behind Megan, was a fallen tree. In fact, it was the same tree they had slept under the night before.

"Well that's just great!" Frost cried, "We've been going in circles!" Frost groaned and punched a tree.

"Take it easy Frost, we can still find a way out," Megan tried to calm him down.

"No we can't, you dizzy broad. Face it, we are lost," Frost sat down, feeling defeated, he groaned. "Now we can never find our way out," Megan stood there, beginning to feel that he was right. She sat down next to him, and Clefairy and Cyndaquil joined them. Frost began to look up at the sky. "I wish we could just fly over this horrible place and…wait a minute!" Frost jumped up and reached into his bag.

"What are you doing?" Megan asked surprised.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm fishing for Pidgeotto, who is going to go up there and tell us where we are," Frost grabbed her ball and threw it. Pidgeotto stood there, confused at the sight of her surroundings. She walked around for a moment. "Hey Pidgeotto," Frost called her name.

"Don startle her now," Megan warned.

"Pidgeotto, I need you to do us a favor," Frost asked. Pidgeotto turned to him and looked around some more. "I want you to fly up there, and come down here, and show us which way to go, okay?" Pidgeotto did not respond. Instead, she began pecking at the ground for food. "Pidgeotto, get up there please," Frost stepped forward impatiently.

Still, Pidgeotto ignored him, pretending he didn't say anything. "Pidgeotto, listen to me and do as I say!" Frost bellowed. This got Pidgeottos attention, as Frost had decided that enough was enough. "Pidgeotto, you are an entirely useless beast, and I regret the day I ever laid my eyes on you!"

Pidgeotto stepped forward and scratched Frost with her beak, then took flight up and out of the trees. "Get out of my sight!" Frost threw a rock at her, just missing as she flew out of sight. He then sat down, trying not to cry. "Why can't she just do as she is told? Why am I such a failure?"

"You are not a failure Frost; she was not a loyal Pokémon. Now let me see, Zubat might be able to help us," She suggested. She let Zubat out, who was having problems navigating during the day. So they knew he was going to be of little help. It would seem, that they were forced to continue through the forest, until they were lucky enough to find a way out.

"Looks like we are in the dark, figuratively and literally," Frost stated. He wiped the tears from his eyes and stood back up. "Let's press on,"

Several hours went by, as they made extra sure, not to make any turns. Both of them suspected that by going completely straight, they would eventually come across something. Maybe the river from earlier, could lead them to the exit. With any luck, they were closer than they thought, but their luck thus far had been…less than stellar to say the least, so that possibility seemed to be improbable.

There were no signs of life his deep in the forest. Except for space spider webs, that seemed to increase the deeper they moved. Frost suspected where they came from, and were hoping to never see the source. However, danger from predators were not the only thing that was to be feared.

For the next few days, about two or so, Frost and Megan had been tracked and followed through the forest by Clayton and Talia. The two of them were waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. "We can safely maneuver around the abandoned farmhouse," Clayton observed.

"Why don't we just kill them now?" Talia questioned. "They don't know where they are heading,"

"Because they don't know where they're heading, they will die, and our hands will be clean," Clayton grinned. "When they do, we can steal their Pokémon for the boss, and revenge will be ours,"

"Then they had better pray to Arceus for luck," Talia smiled. Clayton began to chuckle. "What's so funny?" She asked sternly.

"It's nothing I promise," Clayton assured her. "Your ignorance is mildly amusing, that is all. All the people I have met, say the same thing, you all think Arceus, is the center of the universe. You have no idea,"


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Without any idea of where they were, or how close they were to the other side, there was little hope of them ever seeing the sun again. By day four, they were scared witless, their food and water supplies had all but diminished, and the forest began to play tricks on them. For a moment, Megan had sworn she spotted something of a White Stag. She ran up to get a closer look, but whatever it was, it darted behind some trees and disappeared.

White Stags are popularly believed to bring good luck to any who are intelligent, fast, or lucky enough to catch one. Right now, in the very heart of Selthwood, Megan and Frost needed a bit of luck, more than ever. Still, they had to press on, or forever be slaves to the forest. By midday, they found the river again. This time, they had a plan to cross it safely to the other side.

"How are we going to cross it?" Megan asked nervously, the rushing water was drowning out her voice.

"I haven't the slightest idea," Frost sighed. "Cyndaquil, can you freeze the river for us?" Cyndaquil stepped up to the rushing river, and took a deep breath. His ice attack completely froze over the river, or at least enough ground for them to walk over. They very carefully, one at a time, crossed. Frost made it over okay. Then Megan followed, and Cyndaquil right after. Megan took it lowly, not wanting to slip, although that didn't help.

She lost her footing, and then her balance! As fast as it happened, she was swept up by the rushing water, and carried away! "Megan!" Frost cried, she screamed as loud as she could, but Frost could not make out what she was saying, as she was moving faster than he could run! Soon enough she was out of sight, and Frost was forced to continue on alone.

"Cyndaquil, Clefairy we have to follow this river. Come on!" Frost began running with the river, hoping to find Megan. They ran and ran and ran, until the river slowed down. There was no sign of Megan. Several hours went by, but there was no way to tell if she got out, or if an ever worse fate befell her. Still, he had to keep searching for her. She was his best friend after all, and he knew she would do the same for him.

Cyndaquil and Frost passed through a bog, the mud slowed them down quite a bit, until something caught their attention. Under a tree, was a bag. Just a single bag, Clefairy picked it up and handed it to Frost, who then proceeded to examine the contents. Inside was a notepad with a lot of notes on it. Frost did not understand most of it, but what he could read, said something about some sort of chemicals that cause augmentation or something of that nature, but he had no time to worry about that right now.

He had to focus his time on finding Megan. When he set the bag down, an ID card fell out. The card, belonged to none other than Professor Maillak. That's right! Master Hu did say something about Maillak doing research in this forest didn't he? Frost picked up his bag, hoping that the professor was nearby. "Cyndaquil, maybe the professor has found Megan, he can help us out of this horrible place,"

Frost began looking around the area for more clues as to the man's whereabouts, but all that was there was his bag. Eventually, they found a dirt trail, and decided to follow it. They did not know where the trail was heading, but any way. Now, after spending several days in a dreaded forest, one would hope that any kind of shelter would be nice. Of course, that is not what Frost and the others found.

They, had the privilege, of stumbling upon something worse, a farmhouse. Even when compared to the forest, this building was unpleasant. Frost looked to his companions, who, while intimidated by the buildings gruesome exterior, wanted to get away from the trees and mud and rocks. So they passed by a rotten wood fence, covered in webs.

As they approached the front porch, Frost could see a mailbox. He wiped the thick bedding of webs off of it, to read the words; Whaltist Residence. Frost turned too Cyndaquil, who was trying not to get any webs stuck on him. "Cyndaquil, didn't the professor say something about a farm?" He asked. Cyndaquil shrugged, and Frost opened the door. Clefairy and Cyndaquil followed Frost into the house.

No electricity, no phones, no one within miles, no way to call for help. Inside, was dusty and dirty and all around disgusting. Spider webs were smothering the entire house. There was nothing, and nobody here. Frost was ready to give up, as was Clefairy and Cyndaquil, until the heard thee floorboards creaking. Frost turned around nervously, and whispered to Cyndaquil; "Get ready to attack," Cyndaquil stepped forward and ignited his frozen flames.

When they jumped around the corner, they were surprised to see not a Pokémon, or any threat at all, but Megan. She was still soaking wet from her swim in the river, and had found her way to this house. "Frost, thank goodness I found you," She breathed a sigh of relief and hugged him.

"Hey, I'm glad you're okay, what happened to you?" Frost sighed.

"I pulled myself out, and I came here. You'll never believe this, I found Professor Maillaks bag, he must be in here somewhere. Maybe he can help us find a way out," She smiled.

"I found it too, maybe he is in this place," Frost began to look around. All that could be seen was cobwebs and dusty furniture. So dusty in fact, that Frost was sneezing constantly, and had trouble focusing. Clefairy, reunited with her best friend, searched the upstairs. They found nothing but web infested rooms. Frost and Cyndaquil searched the cellar. Up and down and around the house, there was no sign of Professor Maillak.

"Clefairy, do you have any idea where he could be?" Megan asked. Clefairy shook her head, and they then went back down stairs to regroup with Frost. Down in the cellar, they found some containers of what appeared to be radioactive materials. What use would a farm house need those for? He wondered, especially, given the fact that this was more like a cottage than a farm, being in the middle of the woods and all.

Aside from some broken bottles, a wine cabinet, and the containers, there was little to see. Frost and Cyndaquil were ready to give up, until Megan came down with Clefairy. She did not know what to make of these items either, but something did catch Clefairys eyes. In the back, behind the containers, was a tunnel. Tunnels in a basement? That is quite strange. Frost was about to go in, before Megan pulled him back.

"What are you doing? Let go of me," He groaned.

"I don't think we should go in there," Megan examined the tunnel, and could not see very far in to it.

"Why? What on Earth is the matter? It's a tunnel, obviously it leads somewhere. Perhaps out of the forest, and I will bet my bottom dollar that Professor Maillak is in there,"

"I do not know, something about it doesn't feel right," Megan stepped away from it. "Don't you think it's strange that a tunnel would be dug underneath a house?"

"Not really, it's odd I grant you, but it's no reason to be afraid," Frost chuckled. "Don't be such a coward, let's go," He started in.

"Frost wait, just think about this. Either there was something in there that someone wanted, or…" Megan began.

"Or what?" Frost interrupted. Looking in to the tunnel.

Megan looked in to the tunnel as well. "Or something was in there, that wanted to get out,"

Frost laughed. "Don't be silly, let's go," He walked into the tunnel, but it was hard to navigate. Megan knew something was odd about the way this tunnel was constructed. The walls and ceiling were smooth and nice looking. When people dig tunnels, the sides are usually more jagged and rough, these were not like that. Clefairy and Cyndaquil knew that the tunnel was not as safe as it appeared, and tried to warn Frost and Megan to turn back while they could.

Not far behind them, Clayton and Talia were following them underground. Hiding behind large rocks bulging up from the ground. Inside the large open areas, they could easily avoid being seen, by the kids. Actually, there was no telling how many eyes were watching their every move, and waiting to strike. Clayton was growing impatient. "Okay, that's enough, we can kill them now, no witnesses," He chuckled, and pulled out a handgun.

"We had better get a promotion for this," Talia smiled. "This is a lot of work just to steal two brats Pokémon,"

"Well that Cyndaquil will be helpful to the Bosses research, and we are going to hand deliver it to him personally. Now you wait here, and come when you hear the gun shot," Clayton snuck ahead to keep up with the kids. He aimed down his sight, and was about to pull the trigger.

"Frost, how long do you suppose this tunnel goes for?" Megan whispered.

"I haven't the foggiest idea, maybe we are closer than we think," He took a drink from his cantina.

After a few yards, they came to an open area. Wide and hollow, they found some scientific equipment. A table with files, and test tubes, and containers. Megan, saw a desk and a chair, and someone sitting in it. "Frost, look," She pointed.

"Oh my, Professor Maillak! Its Frost, remember me?" He cheered. There was no response. "Professor, it's us, can you help us out?" He asked. Still no response. "He must be asleep," Frost walked dup to him and shook him. "Professor, wake up," Megan and Frost screamed in terror, as the chair turned around. Revealing Professor Maillak, having every last drop of blood drained from him. Megan tried to hold back her tears, while trying to not throw up.

"I told you Frost, we should not have come here," She cried. "We have to go!" Together, they turned around to run.

Talia, was growing impatient, hoping that Clayton had not suddenly grown a conscience. "Hey, Clayton, where are you?" She whispered. She moved through the winding tunnel. She found Clayton alright, and was about to scream, before a great big stinger, swooped down from above.

Megan and Frost were running as fast as they could, until they were stopped. From the ceiling of the tunnel, descended a giant Ariados. Easily surpassing their normal size. This one was at least nine feet tall. Baring its fangs, it hissed and tried to nab our heroes! They slipped out of the giant's claw and ran back to where they had come from.

As they ran, several more behemoths descended from above, trying to grab them. Some rose up from the ground beneath them. Spitting their webs, they gave chase! Snapping their sharp fangs and swinging their longs arms after them. Cyndaquil did his best to try and create ice walls to stop them, but against their immense size and strength, the walls only slowed them down.

Now Frost could see what they were in, it wasn't just a tunnel, it was a nest. He could see several dozen Spinaraks hatching from their eggs on the walls and ceiling! Finally, they were out of the tunnel, but the army of Ariados were not far behind! "Frost, what do we do?!" Megan cried.

"I got it!" Frost reached into his bag and let loose his Pokémon. Sneasel and Butterfree took a stance and prepared for the fight. Out form the tunnel, at least a dozen giant Ariados emerged, angry and hungry. Snarling and hissing, they encircled and surrounded them. Frost and Megan had the gift of not speaking their language, but Cyndaquil and Clefairy could hear every word. Such as; "Here they are! Surround them! We would love to have them for dinner,"

"Do not fret, we will drain them of their blood. Every last drop," Snarled another.

"Kill them all while they are still fresh!" Among other threats and curses too terrible to put in to words. Sneasel and Butterfree did their best to fend of the mutations, but to no avail. For both of them were quickly encased in a cocoon of webbing! Cyndaquil managed to fend off one or two, but three more came in to take their places. Clefairy, was soon overpowered as well.

Now, Megan called out her Pokémon for whatever help they could offer! Ralts and Linoone charged in! Linoone quickly overwhelmed several of them with quick and agile movements, but Ralts didn't stand a ghost of a chance. Megan and Frost were the only wo who were not encased in their diabolical webbing, facing almost twenties giant monsters alone.

"Frost, what do we do?" Megan cried.

"Hold on, we will think of something," Frost assured her. He had no plan, and was certain that this would be his last night alive. Until he heard something, a shriek. One of the Ariados, who was preparing to stab Frost with its deadly stinger, heard the sound too, and turned to see where it came from. Frost could not make out what it was at first, but something swooped down, and knocked the Ariados right on its tookus!

The other Ariados, began to look around to find it. Before long, the shape had zipped down and knocked down two more. Frost knew immediately knew what it was. "Pidgeotto!" Frost declared. Pidgeotto dove down for another pass, right into three more! She then spun around and freed the other Pokémon from the accursed webs. Now, as the Ariados were retreating, the odds of victory steadily increased!

Ralts and Clefairy took down an enemy, as did Zubat, Sneasel, and the others. One Ariados, leapt out from a nearby tree onto Pidgeottos back as she passed underneath, and stung her! Quickly knocking it off, and regaining control over the situation, Pidgeotto gave it a Brave Bird attack. Soon, the battle was won, and Frost and Megan cheered in success as the Ariados fled in terror. Pidgeotto, was lying on the ground, shaking and struggling to breathe.

Frost ran over and picked her up, seeing the gash, and the venom spreading through her. "Pidgeotto, hang in there," He cried. "Megan, Pidgeottos been poisoned. We have to get her to the Pokémon Center soon, or she will die!"


	5. Pokemon: The Long Way 'Round Chapter 4

Chapter 4

There was no time to lose! Frost picked up Pidgeotto and held her tight, remembering to thank her for her great deeds. He and Megan ran up a hill, and could see a small town not too far from where they were. "We have to get there now, let's go!" Frost shouted. They recalled their Pokémon and ran faster than they ever had before. They did not even notice the borders of Selthwood slowly disappear behind them as they neared the town.

They had run out of breath long before they arrived at the town, but the situation was far too grave to worry about respiratory arrest or heart attacks. So they just ignored the dizziness that consumed them both, and bolted at Mach Five into the Pokémon Center. They found Nurse Joy at the front desk. "Nurse Joy! We need help!" Frost cried. She picked up the bird and ran her into the emergency room.

"This wound is infected, we will do the best we can," She said, giving Pidgeotto several shots of various drugs to slow down the poison. Ariados venom, is different from poison from other Pokémon, such as Beedrill, or Nidorina. Their venom, like most poisonous spiders, is dangerous and can kill without immediate medical treatment.

Frost and Megan sat out in the waiting room for hours. All the while, Frost was in tears, and Megan and Cyndaquil were doing their best to comfort him. "She came back," He whimpered. "She came back to help me after all I said, and now she may die," Tears ran down his cheeks. Megan whipped his eyes.

"Don't feel bad, you did nothing wrong," Megan reminded him. "Pidgeotto made a choice, and with that choice, we were able to see the light of day. It was because of her, that we are still alive. We owe her so much for that," Frost knew Megan was right. After all, he didn't ask Pidgeotto to come and save them. In fact, if he had listened to Megan and not gone through the tunnel, they may have bypassed the nest all together.

So, Frost, and Megan knew, they had no one to blame but him. He swore that day, if Pidgeotto would recover, he would try even better than his best to be fair to all his Pokémon. He started to realize that maybe Pidgeotto had more to offer to the team than she let on. Willing to risk her life for her master, with courage and sacrifice, truly the virtues of a warrior. They sat in the chairs, with Nurse Joy doing her very best with all the advanced medical technology at her disposal to save the birds life.

Frost could not sleep at all that night, still feeling guilty about the whole situation he had created for himself. What if Pidgeotto did not make it through? He could not, and would not want to live with the death of a friend hanging over his shoulders. She may not have been loyal, but she still helped him. He just lay awake, wondering if he would get the chance to make amends. He looked to Megan for comfort, but she had already fell into a deep sleep.

Finally, when he did fall asleep, the sun had already begun to rise into the sky. Nurse Joy woke him up. "Oh sir? I have good news for you,"

Frost yawned and checked the clock, it read quarter past eleven. "What is it ma'am?" He asked politely.

"We managed to bring your Pidgeotto, back from the brink of death. She will be just fine," She smiled. Frost jumped up and ran into the room where she was kept. She was lying down on a bed, with tubes running through her beak, probably to suck out what was left of the venom. Frost sat down beside her, and she tried to not look happy. Frost and she exchanged glances for a few minutes before Megan walked in.

"Megan, do you mind? I'd like to be alone with her for a minute, please?" Frost asked.

"Sure, we will be outside," She, Clefairy, and Cyndaquil left the room. Frost looked at Pidgeotto.

"You know Pidgeotto, I have only been a Pokémon trainer for a few months, five or six I believe, I haven't been keeping track. What I learned, is that loyalty is important. Mutual understanding between a Pokémon and their trainer is important," Pidgeotto rolled her eyes, Frost merely ignored it. "I have a dream to be a Pokémon Master. I have my destiny, to win that competition in Palendome. I can't do it alone however," Pidgeotto tuned over on her side.

"Why did you come back for us? You didn't have to; we didn't ask you to come back. I don't understand your reasoning for that. Though, I appreciate it. If you had not come…Megan, Cyndaquil, our Pokémon, and myself would be dead. So I can't imagine, if you hate me as much as you do, would come save us. You're obstinate, you don't help, you don't listen…" Pidgeotto turned and looked at Frost, wondering what he was going to say. "…but you love me Pidgeotto,"

She said nothing, but moved a little and sat up right. "So, if you want to continue being the way you are, go ahead, but if you are willing to be a friend, I would be forever grateful," Frost held out his hand. Pidgeotto hesitated at first, but finally, grabbed his hand with her wing and shook. Frost smiled.

Megan and the other Pokémon were in the main lobby when Frost and Pidgeotto came out after a while. Frost put Pidgeotto back into her Pokéball. He then approached Nurse Joy. "Excuse me, is there a gym in this town? Actually, where are we even?" He asked.

"Well, this is Houfar, I'm sorry, but there is no gym. Kelivarth has a gym if I'm not mistaken," She apologized.

"How far away is Kelivarth?" He asked nervously. He knew they got turned around in the forest, and was prepared to hear an answer he did not like.

"Kelivarth, is only seventeen miles from here, if you hurry, you should get there by dusk," She answered. "You should get some food in case you get hungry. Well, I suppose my cousin there could help you out better than I can," She chuckled.

"How does that work?" Megan asked. "How are there so many Nurse Joys with the same name and look exactly the same?"

Nurse Joy smiled. "I don't know, but SCNT is a long and dubious process," She laughed, and went about her business. She had to help an injured Swinub, and a sick Wynaut. Frost and Megan had a nice lunch, but they were still uneasy about what they had seen in that forest. Megan, seemed most willing to forget about the whole thing, even though she knew that Professor Maillak had to be recovered. She talked to Nurse Joy about it, who was beyond horrified at the details.

Officer Jenny arrived a few minutes later to tell them that the bodies of two Team Rocket soldiers were found as well, but no sign of any giant Ariados. Everything would be taken care of, and Frost and Megan did not have to worry about it anymore. For those two had endured enough horrors that day, and needed to focus on other tasks.

"Thank you for everything Nurse Joy," Frost bowed in respect.

"There is no trouble, and for what it's worth, I'm sorry about the Professor," She sighed. "I wish you all good luck, however I also would like to remind you that luck only occurs when opportunity and preparation meet, and I've found that the harder I work, the luckier I get,"

Neither Megan nor Frost knew what to make of that advice, despite it being good advice, and hit the road. "Now, the first thing I'm going to do, is hit the gym," Frost smiled. "I have a feeling that I would only like to use Pidgeotto for that one," Cyndaquil jerked his head up confused and alarmed. "Don't take it personally, now that she and I have buried the hatchet, I would like to see her at her best,"

The cold morning eventually transformed into a beautiful sunny day. The sun shone bright as the breeze kept them from ever getting too hot. Obviously the open area was a vastly large improvement over the claustrophobic, and unfriendly appearance of Selthwood. They could see the sun, there was no fog, and they were not in any danger at all. However, just ahead of them by a few yards or so, was a young boy.

He must have been only thirteen or so, and he was anxious to have a battle. "Hey! You Pokémon trainer?" He shouted at Frost. Frost and Megan exchanged looks.

"Yes, I am. What can I do for you?" Frost asked. Frankly, he was not in the mood for a battle, but he did not find rejecting a challenge to be morally sound.

"I want to have a Pokémon battle in preparation for the gym in Kelivarth, and I hereby challenge you!" He shouted. "Just one on one will do, if you please," He smiled.

"Alright, just one battle," Frost reluctantly agreed. They stood a few yards apart on the field away from the path. Plenty of open space for a battle. Frost examined his Pokéballs, and decided to use Sneasel. So she came out on to the field, ready to fight. The boy sent out a Skiploom.

"Skiploom may have a type disadvantage, but he has courage and determination, so let's see how you handle a Poison Powder attack!" He shouted. Skiploom ejected from the leaf on his head, a poisonous pollen, but Sneasels superior speed and agility gave her the ability to avoid being sprayed.

"Sneasel, counter with Slash!" Frost commanded. Sneasel spun around quickly and hit the Skiploom. Sneasel turned around quickly and hit him again. Skiploom fell down, and was unable to battle. Sneasel and Frost both seemed disappointed by the pitifully easy victory, but the other trainer was not upset.

"I guess maybe I have some training to do, huh?" He shrugged, recalling Skiploom into the ball.

"Don't sweat it," Frost said. "Being a Pokémon trainer takes time to master, you may yet get the hang of it," He smugly grinned. Megan tried to hold back her laughter. Since when was he promoted to Pokémon instructor? What a pompous fool, a silly, conceited, fool. She just stood there, as Frost was going on about teamwork

"I suppose I should introduce myself, my name is Frost," They shook hands.

"My name is Brett, it's a pleasure to meet you," He smiled. His bright green eyes twinkled in the sunlight. Brett was obviously sweating in the heat, and took off his Sinnoh pullover. "I hope to be a great trainer just like you," He smiled.

"Hey…" Frost pondered for a moment. "Why don't you join us? I can teach you the ropes of being a successful Pokémon trainer," He suggested.

"You mean it?" Brett asked. He knew he had little experience in battle, and figured an experienced trainer like Frost could help him out. So he agreed, and introduced the two of them to his Pokémon. Skiploom, Flygon, and Koffing, got along just fine with Cyndaquil, Clefairy, and the others. Frost and Megan were glad to have another companion on the road, as talking to one another on a minutely basis could be quite irritating from time to time.

Brett, Megan, and Frost headed to Kelivarth as a trio. Together, they were ready for more adventures. By dusk, they had arrived in Kelivarth. Brett lived in Kelivarth, but Megan and Frost had not been in a real city for almost two weeks, and were happy to see cars and streetlights and skyscrapers. Downtown, traffic was a nightmare, they three of them had a hard time crossing the street.

"Now look, we won't be spending much time here, we fell behind our schedule when we were going through Selthwood," Frost told Brett, who looked surprised that they would even go near that place.

"What drugs did you take that made you go through the forest?" Brett asked He had up until recently, enjoyed strolling through the forest before things went haywire. Now, he knew how dangerous it was, as did his family, friends and associates, and had made dead certain to avoid that place at all costs. He knew better than most what happened to people who were brain dead enough to go near it.

His friend Gregory, whom he had known for years, was a Pokémon trainer. Young and ambitious, he ran into the forest several months ago to look for rare Pokémon. You can probably guess his fate. Gregory's funeral was held a week later, and Brett was devastated, so he swore to fulfill his friends dream of being a Pokémon Master.

"We had to go through to get to Kelivarth, the roads around were blocked off," Frost shrugged. "We had no choice but to go through,"

"I meant no offense," Brett apologized. "I'm just surprised to hear you to say you went into Selthwood, and seeing you come out of it alive," Brett explained. Frost was confused, as he was sure that most people were too afraid of the forest to go in there. So there could not have been that many people to fall victim to Selthwood. So why was he so surprised that two children would navigate through it safely?

"You surprised? I don't see why you should be," Frost responded calmly. "You act as if you lost someone to those accursed trees," He smugly quipped.

"I did," Brett frowned, that shut Frost up but good, and no more was in need to be said. So Frost just shut up and continued towards the gym. Passing by a Pokémart, they went in and found a city guide lying on the shelf. Frost picked it up and looked for any information he could find regarding the gym and the Pokémon inside. According to the guide, the Gm Leaders name was Kane, but there was no information regarding what type of Pokémon he used, probably so trainers could not plan out a strategy ahead of time.

Regardless, he didn't need to worry about that. If any problems were to occur, he could easily figure a way out of it. Down the street from the mart, was the gym itself. Megan, wanted to go to see if any contests were being held, and so she and Clefairy left them. Brett, having not really seen a true Pokémon battle, wanted to go in with Frost to observe and be educated. Frost of course, happily let him join.

Through the front door, Frost and Brett immediately knew what they were in for. In six rows of three, were tombstones. Fog blew across the room, and Frost did not take too kindly to that. So, it was pretty obvious what kind of Pokémon this Kane fellow utilized; Ghosts. Now, as any trainer knew that Ghost type Pokémon were tough to beat, only Ghost and Dark type Pokémon had a chance of beating them. Sneasel would have been an obvious choice, but Frost had a different plan.

Instead of using an advantageous Pokémon, he wanted to use his new friend Pidgeotto.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

In a second room behind the makeshift cemetery, Frost and Brett were greeted by a tall skinny man, dressed entirely in black from head to foot without a single spec of color. His face was pale white. Obviously this guy was a loon. Almost as crazy as Amy from Tougargh City. Although there was no nuclear reactor to worry about blowing up.

"I'm Vincent, welcome to my gym. Who might you be?" He asked coldly. Frost stepped forward, and Cyndaquil hid behind him.

"My name is Frost. I'm a Pokémon trainer, and this is my friend Brett," They introduced themselves. "I want to challenge you to a battle, do you have time for one?" He asked. Vincent pulled out his schedule, and examined it.

"Yes, I suppose I could make time for a battle with you. Which one of you shall challenge me first?" He asked, putting away his notepad.

"Actually," Frost corrected him, "I'm the only challenger. My friend wants to be a Pokémon trainer, so I thought if he would see a real battle, that may help him out, is that okay?"

"I suppose it would be good for him, yes, he may observe. I hope that this helps you out young man," He smiled at Brett. "With determination and hard work, you could be a great trainer,"

Vincent stepped to the other side of the field, which was nothing more than an open area of the indoor cemetery, easily the smallest field Frost had ever seen, and laid down the rules. "This will be a three on three Pokémon battle with no substitutions, and a time limit, understand?" Frost agreed, and looked at the wall, which had a timer on it. Vincent had one of his assistants set the time up to ten minutes. Frost realized that he had to work extra fast to take out three Pokémon in that time.

He threw down his Pokéball and released Pidgeotto onto the field. She cawed, and flapped her wings, preparing to fight. Brett sat down on a bench by a monument and watched carefully. Vincent tossed a Dusk Ball and released a pretty intimidating Banette. Frost opened his Pokédex to get some insight.

" _Banette, the Marionette Pokémon. Banette generates energy for laying strong curses by injecting pins into its own body._

"Alright, Pidgeotto time is of the essence, use Sand Attack!" Pidgeotto flapped her wings creating a dust cloud. Banette was only mildly annoyed. "Now use Wing Attack!" He ordered. Pidgeotto swung around the cloud to Banette and dove into her! Banette countered Pidgeottos assault with a Shadow Claw, but Ghost type moves have no effect on Normal type Pokémon, and vice versa.

"Banette, use Dark Pulse!" Vincent commanded. Banette stood her ground and released a ball of energy from her body. Pidgeotto had to move quickly to avoid it, and was almost bale to avoid it, except that her right wing was grazed, throwing her off balance! She began to fall, before she was able to retake the sky. "Your Pidgeotto is very impressive," Kane admired.

"Thank you, now Pidg', use Brave Bird!" Pidgeotto swooped down and rammed Banette, taking a lot of damage in the process, she was still able to knock out Banette! Brett cheered, and was enjoying the rush. Frost looked over to the timer, and it read; 8:11, plenty of time. Banette was re-called, and a Shuppet was sent to take her place. Pidgeotto was tired, and Frost offered to recall her, but she insisted to stay on the field.

Shuppet stood there, motionless until Vincent ordered him to use a Hypnosis Attack. Pidgeotto, didn't stand a chance, and fell fast asleep. "Now Shuppet, use Dream Eater!" Shuppet floated over to the sleeping bird, and began to stretch her maw. Her mouth stretched so wide, she was able to swallow Pidgeottos head whole! Slowly sucking at her brain, Shuppet began to pulsate as her energy increased.

"Pidgeotto, wake up!" Frost called. Pidgeotto was helpless as Shuppet ingurgitated every last though to pass through Pidgeottos unconscious mind. Frost knew there was nothing could do, and recalled her. "You did the best you could, thank you," He put the ball back in his bag, and called out another Pokémon. Now, Shuppet would have to stand his ground against the might of Sneasel!

"Shuppet, don't panic, use Dark Pulse!" Shuppet jumped forward, and released a ball of energy from her being, Sneasel was hit, but it had little effect.

"Sneasel, use your Slash attack!" Sneasel lunched forward and slashed Shuppet, but it had no effect. Up close, Shuppet was able to use Dark Pulse again! This time, Sneasel felt it affect her! Sneasel grabbed the enemy, and took him out with one Crunch attack! Shuppet fainted, as the clock counted down to three minutes and two seconds. Frost was running out of time.

"Your Pokémon are well trained, guess I better bring out this one," Vincent complemented him. Even in the face of defeat, Kane was a humble and respectful man. His last Pokémon, Gengar, grinned his sinister grin, and prepared to give Sneasel what for. Slowly, the clock wound down to one minute, an Sneasel and Gengar were still in the heat of a battle. Neither side was over powered by the other, and the upper hand. Sneasel did her best to overthrow Gengar, and her Crunch attacks were slowly weakening it.

Finally, Gengar fell, leaving Frost with seventeen seconds to spare. Vincent called back Gengar, and approached Frost. He reached into his pocket, and pulled out a skull and crossbones looking badge. "This is the Specter Badge, congratulations," He handed it to Frost, who was surprised to see Vincent so indifferent about losing, he was a true trainer, with an unimpeachable reputation.

"Thank you, sir," Frost graciously accepted the badge. "This is the fourth gym badge I've accumulated, but aren't you even the least bit upset about losing?" He asked.

"If there is one thing I have managed to learn in the twenty-six years I've been a Pokémon trainer, is that defeating other trainers, is not what being a trainer is all about,"

"Then what is it about?" Brett asked curiously. Vincent smiled.

"Being a Pokémon trainer is creating a bond with these creatures. They won't be around forever, and frankly, neither will we. Unlocking the true potential in a Pokémon is not done with the best moves, or an evolutionary form. It's about knowing when to admit defeat, and knowing when to go on,"

"Quitting is for cowards," Frost jested.

"Not trying, is for cowards. Putting time and effort in to success guarantees it. Those who do not work for their reward, shall not receive it," Vincent warned. Frost payed no mind to him, and left the gym.

Brett was trying to deduce what Vincent had meant, and was confused by how little Frost cared. Why would he? He has the power of a prophecy at his back. He had nothing to worry about. He had victory in the bag before he even left home. Why did he even bother collecting badges? Oh well, it didn't matter right now. Brett and Frost began to wonder what Megan was up to. Perhaps she found a contest after all.

Concerning Megan, she and Clefairy had in fact found a small scale contest. In the audience, there must have only been a few dozen people. The room where the contest was held seemed to be much larger than the crowd it was holding. A for the contestants, only four people were involved. Of those four, were none other than our good friend John. "Well, it's been a while since we have seen you," Megan commented.

John sneered, and was not impressed. In fact, he still had a bit of a bad taste in his mouth from his defeat at the hands of Frost, at least Megan thought that's what was on his mind. He had been in Kelivarth for almost two days, and after the contest, was planning on heading out. "Yeah, I was wondering where you and your pathetic friend were at," He grinned.

"That pathetic friend of mine, beat you," Megan corrected him. John took little notice. "So why don't you try to be a little nicer? Second of all, you should never end a sentance with a preposition," John only sneered at her obnoxious attitude.

"Because nice guys finish last. Being last to that oaf, is not on me to do list," He frowned, and picked a Pokémon to use in the contest. "You ready to lose to me?" He chuckled.

"Yeah, sure," Megan groaned. She picked out a Pokémon and got ready for the contest to begin. When everything was ready to go, the contest manager stepped up to explain the rules.

"Now, this contest will be a beauty contest, you will be given a limited wardrobe in these boxes, and each contestant has five minutes to make your Pokémon as sexy as possible," This made the contestants giggle, except John of course. I'm sure if he knew this was a beauty contest, he would not have wasted his precious time. Still, he did not want to back down, and let a lightweight like Megan take the trophy.

Megan picked out a lovely diamond necklace for Ralts. Each individual rock sparkled and reflected off of her eyes. "Let's see, this necklace, with maybe…a tiara? No, that's…well, it does look cute on you. With this get up, who knows where we will end up at…where we will end up in terms of…never mind," She groaned, at least she didn't let Frost hear her end a sentence with a preposition. She just did the make-up, and made Ralts very ravishing.

After the time ran out, each contestant was called to the makeshift stage. First was a young boy named Walter, who had quite sloppily dressed up his Smeargle in an ugly blue hat and several red cotton balls. Absolutely pathetic, in fact, he was booed off the stage. After him, Megan came up with Ralts. Ralts was met with relatively good feedback. She went back stage behind the curtain, and saw John rolling his eyes with boredom.

He was called to the stage, and revealed a stunning and rather intimidating Steelix. Obviously he had been working hard to get a Pokémon like that, Steelix's titanium body was glossed and polished, there was little decorative bling added to him. Each of the three judges were very impressed by the natural appearance. John smiled wickedly, knowing he had the contest in the bag. Still, Megan hoped the last contestant could beat him.

Her name was Charlene, a timid blonde, she released a Yanmega. Fluttering above the ground, it was wearing beautiful opal rings on each of its legs. Each judge clapped and such, and while they counted and tallied the votes, each contestant waited in the back stage. John said nothing, but Megan could tell he was expecting her to lose, but that was not going to happen if she could help it.

Finally, the contestants were rounded up on stage. In fourth place at a whopping zero votes, Walter. Shocking right? He left the stage wallowing in defeat. In third place, with a total of eleven votes, Megan. She bowed in respect and kept her chin up. John grinned, he may not get first place, but he still scored higher than her. In second Place, with fifteen votes, Charlene. She got a bronze trophy, and smiled in delight. Yanmega was happy too with their success. John received twenty votes. He took the trophy without even saying thank you, and left.

After the contest, Megan and Clefairy went to meet up with Frost and Brett. They exchanged stories, and got a bite to eat before hitting the road again. As they passed by the city limits, they inadvertent bumped into Rourke. "Excuse me…have we met?" He asked curiously before his memory returned to him. "Ah yes, the mountain boy! Ha! How are you my friends?" He smiled.

"I'm fine, how are you?" Frost shook his hand.

"I'm enjoying blessing the weather with my existence, where are you two heading towards?" He asked. Frost checked the map. About twenty-seven miles East, lay Routharthe City. Too far and way out of the way. Down the river, just twenty miles West, was the popular Calviton City. Known mostly for its restaurants. They could take the ferry and save time.

"We are going to Calviton City, and we are planning to take the ferry,"

"Have you the funds to afford it?" Rourke asked curiously. "If you don't, I may be able to introduce you to the world of commerce, in exchange for some services," He offered.

"What kind of services?" Brett asked, he was beginning to take interest in Rourke's terms.

"Well, my menial, and impecunious acquaintance, my company is currently working in a mine not too far from here. We are on the verge of a great discovery,"

Rourke took them to the sight, while explaining to them their goal. "So you want us to find a rock?" Megan asked confused.

"Yes, but it isn't just a rock. It may be, according to experts, some kind of evolutionary stone,"

"There is already an abundance of evolutionary stones," Brett put it bluntly, much to Rourke's irritation. "What makes this one so special?"

"Well, little boy. First of all, if I say its valuable, that is all it takes. Second, we found it stored away in a sort of ritual like chamber. So whatever is in there, is something mankind was not supposed to find," He shrugged.

"Do you have any idea who put it there?" Frost asked. "Why do you need us to retrieve it?" Rourke tuned to him.

"Because I can't get my suit dirty, and you three are just the right size to crawl into the hidden chamber. Regarding your second question, there is no saying who…or what. I'm afraid there are no clues as to the stones origins. Judging from the stones design, all we can conclude…is that it is not of this Earth,"


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Rourke left in his limousine, and returned to his building in Kelivarth. Being a man obsessed with public image, Rourke had his building placed by the freeway. Bringing attention from travelers who have not heard of his company, and from locals who are constantly reminded of his astronomical magnificence. So he went back, and Frost, Brett, and Megan were left at the dig site to find his valuable rock. One of the diggers led them down the mine shaft, and all the while, they were hoping the tunnel would not cave in on them.

By the light of a single lantern, they found the hole in the wall that Rourke was talking about. "I think it would be wiser if only we were to enter the chamber. Cyndaquil, Clefairy, you had best stay out here," Frost set down his bag, and made sure the Pokémon did not follow. Brett climbed up into the hole, and fell down the other side into the room. Megan followed, and Frost afterwards.

There was little to see in the room itself, aside from runes carved into the stone walls. Upon closer examination, Megan could see that it was written in the form of the Unoun. She tried to understand what it said, but it was jumbled nonsense and could not be understood. "Frost, do you understand what it means?" She asked. Frost looked at the jumbled symbols and tried to read it.

 **Eularte Emporeshhse le tajewed aplore wiitkalskeree dou chkak**

"No, this is all gibberish to me," He shrugged. Whatever it meant, it must belong to a long forgotten language. The chamber they were in, while not leading anywhere else, must have been hundreds, if not thousands of years old. Dust and cobwebs covered the walls, and several statues of some sort of Pokémon were carved into the walls in the four corners of the room. Neither Frost, nor Megan, nor Brett could identify what Pokémon it was. Perhaps an extinct species, or maybe something else. The arms were puzzling to Frost, as they had seven fingers, and some sort of strange rounded body attached to a square jawed head. This room, Brett guessed was more than just a chamber, it was a room of worship, like a church of sorts to worship whatever these things were…or are.

After examining the statues and runes, Megan decided to not waste time, and walked up to a structure in the center of the room, it was like a table, but more rounded like a bowl. Inside, was a single rock, with three jagged lines across, and a plain grey color to it. "This is the rock?" Megan asked. "Why is Rourke after this rock?" She wondered. Brett and Frost did not have an answer, but they were asked to retrieve it in exchange for some income, so questioning their duty was not something they wanted to do.

When they finally left the mine, all the workers had stopped and watched them. It was as if they had never seen a rock before. Dozens of eyes watched them closely as they got in a car, and were taken back to Rourke's building. Even the driver kept his eye on the kids more than the road. In fact, they almost crashed several times, much to the children's dismay.

After the driver dropped them off and pulled away, they entered the building, only seventeens stories or so, quite small given Rourke's ego. Up on the top floor, was Rourke's office. He was on the phone discussing with some associates about experiment funding or something of that nature, but he quickly hung up when the children entered the room. "We have your rock sir," Megan handed it to him. He took it, and was as giddy as a school boy.

"Oh, thank you, my dear. You don't know how lucky I am to have achieved something almost as magnificent as me," He jumped up and down, before finally taking a seat. Frost walked up to the desk.

"Now…about our remittance…" Frost urged, not wanting to upset Rourke in anyway.

"Yes, yes, of course. Let me write you up six hundred dollar checks, what are your last names?" He grabbed his pen.

"Cold hard cash, I think would better suit us," Brett suggested. Rourke rolled his eyes, mildly irritated, and pulled out a keychain from his desk drawer. He walked up to a portrait of himself on the wall, with the word "Fantastic" Written across the bottom, and pulled it off the wall, revealing a hidden safe. Out he pulled eighteen-hundred dollars in cash. He gave the children their equal pay, and continued to drool over the rock.

Not wanting to interrupt the impending copulation, Frost, Megan, and Brett left in a hurry. As they left the building, Brett had an idea. "Hey, why don't we purchase ferry tickets?" He suggested.

"Can we still buy tickets at this point?" Megan asked. She figured it would be next to impossible to get tickets at this point. They did not know when the ferry was taking off. They had to try though, if there was a way to save time and get to Calviton faster than on foot, they had to take it.

Heading towards the harbor, they found the ferry, where people were loading on. They approached a man by the dock, who was collecting tickets. "Excuse me sir," Frost asked. "Is it too late to purchase tickets?"

The man thought it over for a moment. "I believe we can still sell them, of course they are one fifty each," he noted.

"As in one hundred and fifty dollars?" Brett asked.

"No oaf, one hundred and fifty cents, imbecile," He grumbled. Obviously having an easy job such as handing out and collecting tickets can take a toll on one's personality and attitude. They paid him the money regardless and got onboard. Inside, the rooms were nice and spacious, despite the small size of the ferry. Well, more like a mini cruise ship if that was the case. They set their bags down and explored the rest of the ship.

On deck, was a battle field, a good way to practice while on the water. Frost knew he could utilize it, and planned to. There was a pool on board, a casino like area for adults, and a game room. Two kids inside, were playing a card game. Frost didn't want to bother them, so he just continued on his way. He was passing by the kitchen before a familiar voice caught his ear. "Well, look who it is,"

Frost turned around, hoping it was not who he thought it was, but it was. John, still smiling that devious smile, his Sentret had the same grin. 'It's been a while, hasn't it?" Frost retorted, trying to pretend he was interested.

"So, you have decided to take the cruise ship to Calviton as well, I see," John snickered. "I suppose you are after the city's gym badge. Then again, I can't imagine any other reason you would want to go there,"

"I need the gym badges, and so do you. How many do you have, if I may ask?" Frost argued. Trying to not let John get to him.

"If you must know, I have six badges already. I suppose you fell behind when you were lost in Selthwood. Sure did help me though, gave me a whole week to catch up," John laughed. Frost wanted to clobber hmm for that. Had he known that people had died, maybe he would not be laughing.

"Professor Maillak, and two others had died in that place. So if I were you, I would show some respect," Frost stepped up and looked him dead in his eyes. John seemed more amused than threatened.

"Two Team Rocket grunts are of no concern to me. As for the professor, I'm sure you have heard that his position has been filled, but I'm not all without sympathy, death is a serious business," John frowned. Frost couldn't tell if he meant what he said, or was just being an ass. "Good place for fishing, maybe a lot of good Pokémon are in this lake," John shrugged.

"How many Pokémon do you have?" Frost asked curiously. John pulled out his red shirt to reveal six Pokéballs around his waist.

"Six on my person. However, I have about thirty-seven more in my PC. How about you?" He gloated.

Frost stood silently for a few moments before answering in a pathetic, wimpy voice, "Four," John laughed uncontrollably, Sentret, and even Megan chuckled.

"Only four? What have you been doing? You won't be able to compete in the league, let alone be a Pokémon Master with only four Pokémon!" John laughed. Sentret was rolling on the ground, trying to not throw up. Frost frowned, knowing that for being on a journey for almost seven months, and only obtaining four Pokémon, was embarrassing. So he slunk back into his cabin and laid down for a nap.

What kind of Pokémon do I want? He thought to himself. He drew out his Pokémon and examined them. Sneasel, Pidgeotto, Cyndaquil, and Butterfree. All good choices when utilized properly, but he needed more. Sneasel…can evolve into a Weavile under certain conditions. He looked up Weavile in the Pokédex. According to what he read, Sneasel can evolve into Weavile only at night, while holding a Razor Claw. That was something he could look for in Calviton.

Now, Calviton, is known far and wide for the Mountain slopes. Perhaps he could find some lethal Ice type Pokémon up there. Maybe a Dewgong, or a Delibird, or a Froslas! He left his Pokémon out to get some fresh air, and went on deck. John was there, with Sentret, eating some calzone, his ship must have come from Italy. "John, I want a rematch!" First declared pointing at him.

John may have more badges and Pokémon, but he sure didn't know how to use them. John set down his plate, and agreed. They get on the field on the front deck, and attracted a crowd of fifty people. "Alright, I'll make this simple. This will be a four on for battle, understand?" John said coldly. Frost agreed, and they went to their respective sides. Frost had an idea though, it was odd, but he thought he would give it a try.

"Why don't we make this battle more interesting?" He asked. John looked puzzled as to what was going on in his head.

"How do you suppose we do that?" John asked, knowing whatever were to come out of Frosts mouth would annoy him.

"If…excuse me, when I win, you have to join us," He suggested. John was right. What dreadful idea. He couldn't risk ruining his reputation by being seen with a monk, and his loser friends. Losing was on thing, he had everything sorted out, but to go on their journey with them? Simply out of the question.

"And if I win?" John asked, wondering if the terms were as fair to him, as they were to Frost.

"Then… You can give me advice on how to not be such a terrible Pokémon trainer anymore," He shrugged. Frost did not know what John would want, but he thought his guess was as good as any. John laughed and threw down a Pokéball. From inside, emerged a Lairon. Frost checked his Pokédex.

 _Lairon: The Iron Armor Pokémon, and he evolved form of Aron. Lairon digs up iron ore for food, and drinks nutrient rich water to strengthen its steel body._

Frost sent out Pidgeotto, guessing that Lairon Ground type attacks would be ineffective against Pidgeotto. John laughed, knowing that Pidgeotto was Frosts worst behaved Pokémon. "Lairon, use Leer!" John ordered. Lairon widened his eyes, and emitted an intimidating look, that put Pidgeotto on edge. She stepped back a few feet, but still kept her ground.

"Pidg', don't be afraid, use Sand Attack!" Frost commanded, Pidgeotto rapidly flapped her wings, creating a dust cloud, that Lairon could not see through. "Now use Wing Attack!" Pidgeotto swooped around the cloud, and rammed into Lairon, taking him out with a single attack! John did not seem bothered at all.

"So you managed to get your stupid bird to take orders huh? Impressive," John mocked. He recalled Lairon, and sent in Sentret, who was ready to fight.

"Pidg', you come back," Frost pulled her back, and sent in Sneasel. "Sneasel, use Icy Wind!" Sneasel created a flurry of ice pellets, battering down Sentret, who managed to stay standing afterwards.

"Sentret, use Quick Attack!" John ordered. Sentret crouched and then bolted towards Sneasel, and hit her before she had time to react, and knocked her down. Sneasel took a deep breath before she stood back up. Sentret summersaulted over his tail before taking control of the field with another attack! Sneasel just took it, and waited for an opportunity to retaliate.

John chuckled, thinking he had the upper hand. Frost groaned, not wanting to let him win. "Sneasel, use Swords Dance!" He bellowed. Sneasel raised her arms and her claws began to glow. "Now use Slash!" Sneasel lunged forward and swung as Sentret, who couldn't help but be intimidated by Sneasels speed and aggression. With one quick swipe after another, Sneasel managed to corner Sentret. One more attack, and Sentret fell, unable to battle. Frost was half way to victory, and John was in trouble.

"Maybe you should just give up, you won't beat me," Frost laughed. "I can't lose," Frost recalled Sneasel, and sent out Butterfree. "What could you possibly do to beat me?!" He began laughing so hard, but John did nothing. Frost had no idea what he was doing, and he didn't need to, just yet. John recalled Sentret, and drew out an Ultra Ball. He chuckled, and threw it. Steelix, coiled himself around the field.

Butterfree was afraid of the behemoth, but Johns Pokémon, as Frost, and in fact, all the other Pokémon, knew that they were on the decrepit side. Even Frost, however, had to admit that a Steelix is a formidable foe.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Steelix, use Sandstorm!" John shouted. Steelix slithered up into the air, and began spinning his body rapidly, creating a furious wind, blowing sand everywhere. Butterfree was struggling to keep in the air!

"Hold your ground Butterfree! Use Stun Spore!" Frost yelled. Butterfree dove into the hurricane and flew with it, spreading her pollen into it. Steelix eventually slowed to a stop, and had trouble moving. "Take advantage of this Butterfree! Use Confusion!" Butterfree flew by Steelix's head, and emitted a powerful array of energy. Steelix grinded and groaned as Butterfree continued her assault! Steel type Pokémon may be strong, but a well-trained Pokémon is stronger.

"Steelix, use Dig!" John commanded. Steelix roared and dug a tunnel deep under the ground, unfortunately taking out half the deck of the boat, which infuriated the captain and crew. Butterfree was careful not to get too close to the ground, but Steelix emerged baring his massive jaws and tried to close his mouth around the insect! He missed, and Butterfree retaliated with a barrage of Confusion attacks! Eventually, Steelix fell, unable to battle. So it would seem, Frost had conceived another victory.

John recalled Steelix, and had one last chance to turn this battle around. Frost did not care what Pokémon he threw out, because he was going to win. Johns last Pokémon, was a simple looking Flaffy. "Flaffy, use Thunder wave!" John cried. Flaffy shot sparks at Butterfree, and she fell down to the ground, unable to move. "Now use Thunderbolt!" Flaffy ejected a blinding flash from her body, and shot a bolt of lightning at Butterfree, rendering her unconscious! Maybe Flaffy wasn't so weak after all.

Frost called back Butterfree. "Great job out there," He congratulated her. He then looked down to Cyndaquil, who was wanting to fight for a while. "Get in there and use Ice Beam," Cyndaquil nodded, and leaped forward breathing his subzero attack at the unsuspecting Pokémon! Flaffy struggled to stand up, but held her ground. She then retaliated with a Thunderbolt again! Cyndaquil had just managed to avoid the attack, and after repeated assaults from Flaffy, Cyndaquil grew tired.

With what little strength he could muster, Cyndaquil circled around Flaffy, who had become exhausted. Cyndaquil took a deep breath, and spat another frozen globule at Flaffy, and froze her feet to the ground. Unable to battle, John was out of Pokémon, and had suffered another defeat. "Like clockwork," Frost said victoriously. He and his friends went back to their room.

"Wow, that was awesome, you are so good at this whole battle thing," Brett congratulated Frost.

"Well, I am pretty good," Frost agreed. "However, the victory truly goes to Johns lack of anything resembling skill as a Pokémon trainer," He laid down on the bed, and yawned. They were all exhausted. So they all took a nap, which as hard to do as the bed itself was only fit for two people. Frost kept falling on the floor, much to Brett and Megans amusement. According to the staff on the boat, the trip across the lake would be about a day and a half, maybe more if any unseen delays were to occur.

Each room, was decorated in a stylish and humble way. Having plain white ceilings and striped pink and green wallpaper, and a painting of a white house on an island on the wall, and a small desk in the corner. Brett, feeling much better after a short rest, decided to go out while the others slept. He snuck out of the room, and went looking for John, hoping for some information.

John, was resting his Pokémon, who seemed to have recovered rather quickly. Brett knocked on the door to his room. "Excuse me, may I have just a moment of your time?" He asked nicely. John and Sentret exchanged glances, and they let him in. Brett took a seat at the desk in the corner of the room, as each room was designed exactly the same.

John sat there and looked at him indifferently. "What do you want?" He asked, pretending to be interested.

"I would like to know, what is it that you have against my friends?" Brett asked. John rolled his eyes, and yawned.

"I don't have any personal vendettas against your friends. Now, that doesn't mean that they aren't losers, they are, but there is nothing going on between us that I am aware of," John responded. Sentret sat up and readjusted himself on the bed for a nap.

"Then why are you so rude to them?" Brett questioned, he did not believe a word John was saying.

"I find Frosts overly conceited personality to be… distasteful. He thinks he so perfect, he's a Mary Sue. I can't wait to see his perfect empire he's built to come crumbling down around him. I've set the charges, but I'm waiting to light the match," He grinned his sinister grin. Sentret smiled wickedly as well. Brett became worried about what he said, and thought intensely about what he meant.

"Why don't you just get to know them? The you maybe, will not hate them as much," Brett suggested. John looked at him, confused as to what he just said.

"Well, that sounds like a great idea. Why don't I just go over there and be friends with them?" John mocked. Brett said nothing, and kept trying to get John to change his mind.

"Well, you lost the battle. So you have to come with us anyway," Brett reminded him. "You have a debt to pay,"

John groaned, but in the end, he reluctantly agreed. He followed Brett back to the room with Megan and Frost, who had awakened and were playing with their Pokémon. Clefairy and Cyndaquil were playing in a pile of snow brought up by Sneasel. John was not amused by the time they were wasting by having fun. To him, Pokémon training was serious, and wasting time was…well, a waste of time.

"John, what are you doing here?" Megan questioned him. John moved out of the way so Sentret could enter the room.

"It has come to my attention, that I made a deal with Frost, and I must settle. Frost smiled, and began to laugh. Megan looked at John, wondering what was going on. He had been in the room for a whole minute, and had not insulted them yet.

"Okay…" Frost was puzzled at this, but decided with Megan that maybe things were a little tense between them, and this would do some good. John sat down in the chair in the corner of the room, and just sat there. For a good long while, they exchanged no looks, nor engaged in conversation. John and Sentret, just sat there, until finally giving up, and they left the room.

"Oh thank God he's gone," Frost breathed a sigh of relief. "Just what in the world were you thinking bringing him in here?" He asked Brett, who had hoped their little intervention would go over better. As you can imagine, he felt quite guilty, and had never sensed so much tension in one room before.

"Well, you said he had to journey with you if you won. So it seemed like a good idea, and besides, I thought it would help develop your relationship with him, and see where it led you," Brett explained, Frost only got angrier and angrier. He took a deep breath, and sat down.

"Well I appreciate that you tried, but John is not the kind of person I associate with for a reason. He is difficult, obstinate, pig headed, and cruel. Treating Pokémon like weapons as opposed to actual animals, it makes me sick," Frost explained. "He is no Pokémon trainer,"

Brett felt kind of bad, he of course, knew what it was like to be judged harshly, being bullied in school. So he had a plan. After Frost and Megan were fast asleep, he would sneak into Johns room and try to get to know him better. Until then, they went on deck to get some food. The kitchen crew had laid out a vast and quite ravishing Italian buffet. Fettuccini, various pastas, and over two dozen types of fancy wine. Megan and Frost and Brett helped themselves to the pastas and delicious desserts.

John was there as well, with his Pokémon eating. Lairon and Steelix of course can't digest real food, so they were given nuts and bolts and pipes and rusty metal objects to feast on. Brett wanted to make sure his visit to him later would be a surprise, so he stayed back. Instead, Frost taught him about Pokémon, how to know what moves to use in battle, and how to win. For hours, Brett was being educated by a, to be completely honest, a rookie.

"Now, do you understand the concept of battling?" Frost asked after his college level lecture. Megan, Cyndaquil, and Clefairy, were just sitting back, and watching Frost make himself look like a fool. Brett however, was taking him seriously, buying into his "messiah" speech. He nodded, and that ended his class.

By midnight, Frost, and Megan were fast asleep. Brett snuck out, to take one measlier attempt to end the hostilities between them and John. John was brushing his teeth when he saw Brett enter his room. "What could you possibly want now?" He groaned. Sentret was not in the mood to listen to Brett try and be a peace keeper, and so he climbed into bed. Brett sat down in that corner chair as he did earlier.

"I want to see if there's anything I can do to make you like my friends," He shrugged. "They are not bad people, and I don't think you are either,"

John rolled his eyes, he admired Brett's determination, but was annoyed by his persistence, and overly sappy personality. "I'm not interested in befriending those losers," He grumbled. "I'm not interested in sacrificing my reputation, or my dignity by being seen with those idiots, in exchange for friendship," John was as stubborn as a mule. Actually, he might just be the only person who could be stubborn than a mule.

"Why not? Frost could give you training advice, and how to battle," Brett suggested. John laughed hysterically at what he had just heard.

"I promise you, you have no idea what you're talking about," John sneered. He walked over to his bed, and laid down underneath the covers. "Please show yourself the way out," He yawned. Sentret curled up in a ball at his feet. Brett once again failed, so he did just that. He left, and went back to his own bed. Megan, who had woken up when he left, followed him, and had to run back when he as heading out, hearing the whole thing.

Come the next day, they could see the docks of Calviton City off in the distance, the captain and guessed they would arrive around three or four. Frost and Megan and Brett could see the mountains far, far, off. Perhaps they would have to pass through them in order to get through to the next city. By now of course, it was no trouble. Go to city, battle gym, in gym, go to city, rinse and repeat. Once in a while, and Megan was beginning to think this as well, Frost was more concerned about himself than he was with her, or Brett.

Maybe he was just preoccupied. After all, Frost had a lot on his shoulders. A prophecy to fulfill, a victory to claim. No room for friends right now. Megan just bit her lip, not wanting to make a scene. She just sighed, along with Clefairy, who had tried to wander off again. Megan had to rush to keep her from stumbling off the dock while they were unloading. "Clefairy, how many times do I have to tell you to stay close? Do you remember Selthwood? I don't want you to get hurt,"

Megan was getting sick and tired of Clefairys indifference to her safety. Even during certain situations where she stayed together, there was danger. Megan in all fairness, may have been a bit overprotective, but the wild is a dangerous and uncertain place. They may have been in the limits if the city, but this problem would not go away. If Clefairy does not learn that there is safety in numbers soon, it may be the last mistake she ever makes.

Downtown Calviton was busy this time of day, and probably still is, I haven't been there in many ages of course. Though I must confess, the Pokémon Center could have been in better shape. Nurse Joy, or the Nurse Joy that happens to work in Calviton, was easily the least hardworking of all the Joys in her breed. Her building was falling apart. Equipment was unusable, and some things were missing altogether.

"I'm sorry, we have had some recent problems in this city with miscreants," She apologized, "My Ampharos and I did our best to stop them but there were too many," Frost began to feel a chill run down his spine. He knew what that meant, even though he had heard that the bodies of Clayton and Talia were recovered from Selthwood. He had hoped that they had seen the last of Team Rocket.

"They had black uniforms, with big red R's on the shoulders and chest right?" Megan questioned. Nurse Joy nodded, and looked out the window to make sure they were not being watched.

"They come by every day for supplies. Medicines, equipment. I think they're planning something. I don't know what, but it must be big," She was doing her best to be brave, but she had little defense left. They already came for her Ampharos and took her, the only other Pokémon she had to protect her was a small Lumineon, who was not too helpful out of water. So he was not going to protect anybody.

"Will they be coming back today?" Brett asked. He had never seen or even heard of Team Rocket, but if they were a threat to Frost, he had to assume they were not friendly.

"I do hope not," Nurse Joy sighed. "Who can say? They've come every day for the past week, but now there is little that remains that could be of some value to them,"

"Well then I guess we have only one thing left to do!" A voice came in from the front door. There stood at least six Team Rocket grunts coming into the Pokémon Center. Quickly, our heroes were surrounded. There was no room to run, and nowhere to hide. "All that's left is to remove those who know of our existence," The leader chuckled.

"People already know about Team Rocket, you incompetent imbecile," Megan scoffed. "It's only a matter of time before the authorities find out where you guys keep coming from,"

"I'm well aware that people know of our existence…" He groaned.

"Then why did you say that you have to remove us?" Brett pitched in. Several of the grunts chuckled, as they had to admit their leader was being outwitted by children.

"I'm not just talking about you, I'm talking about the whole planet,"


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Within the trees of Selthwood, Master Hu was exploring. He was reminiscing of the elder days, when he was a child. Exploring the vast forest in search of rare Pokémon. Before he was separated from his family and brought up as a Monk. Selthwood had certainly changed in the last sixty years. Now, he wished he could return to those days, before politics and fear ran the Monk culture.

Still, he had a mission and needed to stay focused. He had himself, his Pokémon, and his wits to keep him safe. The other Monks would not help, maybe they didn't believe him, maybe they were too afraid to face such an accursed foe. He had no choice but to deal with Selthwood alone. So he put his head down, and moved forward through the fog, dodging the vile trees and hearing nor seeing any signs of life.

Whatever was in this forest, was killing it. If this evil were to spread outside the borders, all of Santem would fall, then Kanto, Sinnoh, then the rest of the planet. Beyond the trees, past the fog, he had the strangest feeling. A feeling that he was being followed, he did not want to make any more enemies than he had to, and decided to wait for the follower to reveal himself, so he put it in the back of his mind and continued forward.

There was one place that he had to find; the Whaltist Farmhouse. Well, more of a cottage really. It used to be a farm before the trees were growing around it, the crops and the animals slowly died off, then the Whaltist family left. What became of them, nobody knew, and frankly, nobody cared. Now that the farm had been abandoned for more than a century, those who wandered by it were surprised to see that it was in relatively good condition for something that old.

By the river, Master Hu found the bag that belonged to Professor Maillak. His research equipment was destroyed, and the house was just down the road. Inside, it was just repulsive, and frankly he couldn't breathe. He had never smelled such an aroma before, and wanted to make sure he never smelled something of the sort again. As brave as he was, each step he took, made the floor boards creak. He jumped at the sounds, and even once or twice at his own shadow.

He stopped moving for a moment, and still heard creaking. He drew his Pokéball and was ready to attack, but when he turned, he was shocked to find Sage Guilette. "You? My dear, what are you doing here?" He asked, that was the least of his concerns, but a little company never hurt anybody.

"I came to help you. The Order may not believe you, but if there is indeed a threat to us, and the rest of Santem, we must do what we can regardless," She told him. Even in such a serious situation, Guilette was a loyal, and courageous friend, the virtues of a true Monk.

"You are indeed wise Sage, and a good friend," Hu smiled. "I appreciate the support. I also assume that you had a hard time getting Master Lei's approval,"

"You should not thank me yet, we don't know what we are dealing with," She responded, examining the condition of the house. "As far as master Qui-Lei is concerned,I must confess he is away to attend to matters of his own," She said. The two of them wandered throughout the decrepit home. "For an abandoned cottage, this place is in better condition than is to be expected. This must be part of our enemy's hideout," She analyzed the walls up and down.

Together, the two Monks entered the basement, where they found the tunnel. Master Hu lit a match and they walked inside. On the floor, Guilette could see footprints. Master Hu guessed they belonged to Frost and Megan, and worried about what kind of dreadful end befell them. "Frost is young, but he is smart," Sage Guilette comforted him. "I do not think he would have been made into a victim here," Master Hu said nothing, not wanting to let his emotions get the better of him, at least not in this place.

Down and down the tunnels they moved, finding scattered webs and blood stains. Now Master Hu was even more afraid for his young friend. Several Ariados came climbing across the tunnel walls, not paying attention to the two monks, as they were still injured and wounded from their battle with Pidgeotto. "These must be the Ariados the Professor warned me about," Master Hu whispered. He saw one of them dig into the wall, leaving behind a wide hole.

Sage Guilette examined the opening, to see another path lead on in a separate direction. Whoever dug this tunnel did not want it to be found. "Master, I've found another tunnel, it leads away from the other paths. Do you think we should go through it?" She asked. Master Hu examined it. From what little light shone in it, he could see various egg sacks for the Ariados. Next to them, were several canisters, the kind that are used to contain and transport radioactive materials.

"So… somebody is trying to create an army of super Pokémon, how strange," Master HU pondered. "We need to get to the bottom of this right away," He began pulling at the dirt, trying to widen the hole in the wall, soon it fell apart on its own. Flimsy hiding place for a top secret operation to be sure. The two of them continued down the secret path, and closer examined the canisters. They were in fact, containing radioactive materials, the same kind used to increase growth and size. No wonder the venom was fatal. The deeper they went; the more things began to add up. All across the wall were scribes written in runes. Unoun, the same kind of runes Frost saw in that chamber when he was searching for Rourke's rock. Written out in the same language.

Neither Sage Guilette or Master Hu could translate the ancient language, but deduced that it must have belonged to the Zetigrah. Though, even they never had a jumbled and strange way of communication. So whoever this language belonged to, was neither a Monk or Zetigrah. "These ancient runes…" Guilette examined them, trying to make some sort of sense out of them, until she came across one recognizable word; Arceus. "Could this be some sort of ritualistic summoning?" She examined.

"I don't think so, Arceus is not someone who would be found in the Zetigrah's ideology. What would one of those wretched cretins want with something as sacred as Arceus?" Master Hu examined.

"We can ask when we find him," Guilette smiled. "I look forward to finally removing that filth from the planet,"

Master Hu chuckled. "Take it easy my friend, the Zetigrah are dangerous," Master Hu entered a small room. Going up into a hatch, was a small ladder, going up seven or eight feet or so. "What have we here?" He smiled, knowing he was getting ever closer to uncovering the mystery. "Where are we?"

The two of them climbed up the ladder, and opened the hatch. They found themselves in a dark and dirty room. There were crates, and broken down tubes and pipes. Master Hu knew what this place was. "This is the old power station, it used to be a place where workers would send electrical energy to the nearby towns. This place has been abandoned for decades,"

"Now all the nearby towns have their own stations," Guilette continued. "Perfect hideout for anybody. An old farmhouse, centuries old, and an old power station. "Something just isn't adding up Master,"

"How do you mean?" Master Hu asked as he looked around at the complex. He found an old generator, probably used to send out electricity.

"Why, at this time, did the Zetigrah choose to return now? After almost a thousand years, why now?" She could not put the last pieces of the puzzle together. How could she? There was very little sense to make of this Zetigrah, who is it? Why did it choose here? Why did it choose now?

"That I cannot say, but whoever this Zetigrah is, he is in here somewhere…Guilette, you must go back and warn the others. Tell them to bring everyone. Master, Sage, all of them. Hurry, before it's too late," Master HU commanded.

"What about you?" She asked, concerned for his safety. "You cannot handle him by yourself," She warned him.

"I know, that is why you must bring reinforcements," He told her. "They will believe you, go to them now, and do not return without them,"

Sage Guilette bowed, and headed off. "I hope you're right, Master," She descended down the ladder and into the underground tunnel. Now Master Hu was all alone with a terrible foe in the same building. An ancient foe from the past, a nameless fear, dreaded by all that are unfortunate enough to know of its existence.

"So do I," Hu said to himself. He continued to search through the building. Wiping cobwebs off of himself, and trying not to fall through the stairs as he climbed up them. On the second tier, the railing was rusted, and the walkway was missing several pieces. Master Hu almost fell through, trying to step over them. He continued his thorough search for hours.

As their last Pokémon fell, Frost and Brett managed to beat the Team Rocket thugs and drive them out of the center. "You haven't seen the last of us," The Grunt threatened. "Team Rocket will continue to thrive, all that stands in our way, is you," He turned around and left with his goons. After cleaning up the mess, everyone sat down trying to assess the situation.

"Why have they come back?" Frost asked. "What could they possibly want?"

"What is Team Rocket?" Brett asked. "I've never heard of them," He sat down trying to figure out what they would want with Pokémon Center equipment.

"We don't know, but they are after Pokémon. Not just rare ones, but any they can find," Megan answered. "Whoever they are, whatever they want, they can't have,"

"Team Rocket is an organization that uses Pokémon for personal benefit," Frost told him. "We first met them when we were in Camwell, and they have been a threat ever since, I don't know what they are after, but I'm sure it won't stop here,"

There was little use worrying about Team Rocket as of now, seeing how the day of the Pokémon League was getting ever so close. Frost wasted no time, he ran right to the gym to win the badge. Brett stayed with Megan, who was getting some food and supplies with the money they had earned from Rourke. Calvitons mall was very tiny for a city so large, probably because the city was going downhill.

The government spending had little effect on the overall economic status of the city. Of course I won't bore you with politics, but due to the shortage of cash flow, there was little good food to purchase, so they had to make do with what they could get.

Frost ran into the gym to challenge the leader, named Candace. "I'll be able to challenge you to a two on two battle. There will be no time limit, sound good?" She asked. Frost nodded, and they met on the field, which was a large pool. Big enough to give a Wailord room to swim. Frost did not know what Pokémon to expect. She sent out a Vaporeon. It dove under the water, Frost did not have any Pokémon that had an advantage, and instead tried to improvise, until he could come up with a good counter strategy.

He sent out Pidgeotto, who was safe in the air from any physical attacks. "Vaporeon, use Leer!" Vaporeon poked her head out of the water, and stared right though Pidgeottos eyes, and into her soul. She struggled to not fall, but the Leer attack was working. With no way to use Sand Attack, there was little chance it could be helped. "Now use Water Gun!" She yelled. Vaporeon spat a stream of water right at Pidgeotto, hitting her, and sending her to the ground! Vaporeon did not let up the attack, pushing Pidgeotto up against the wall. She was unable to get up, and Frost was already feeling nervous.

He called Pidgey back, and then sent out Butterfree. Candace released a Kingler, who dove under the water. "Okay! Butterfree, use Poison Powder!" Butterfree sprayed her deadly pollen all over the water, but it only dissolved and had no effect.

"Kingler, use Bubble beam!" Candace ordered. Kingler leaped out of the water and onto the ground and unleashed a flurry of bubbles! Butterfree did her best to avoid the attacks, but almost got hit several times!

"Butterfree, get in close! Use Tackle!" Butterfree dove down and rammed the Kingler, who stepped back, and swung at her with his giant claw. "Once more Butterfree!" She hit Kingler again, but this time, he was able to snatch her wing!

"Kingler! Use Crab Hammer!" Candace ordered. Kingler pinned Butterfree to the ground and began to beat her merely with his claw! Butterfree struggled to break free, but Kinglers grip was far too strong, and she eventually blacked out! Frost had witnessed today, his first official defeat as a Pokémon trainer.

He left the gym, and said nothing on the way out, and slumped back to the Pokémon Center humiliated. With the mountains at his back, he began to wonder where everything went wrong. Obviously of course he was exaggerating the situation, and knew that he could challenge her as many times he deemed necessary, but a loss? Someone who was destined for greatness would not lose. His battle was so quick too, it was like a flash. He stood there confident in one moment, then shamefully defeated in the next.

When Megan and Brett returned, they could see Frost did not want to talk about it. Megan of course, insisted. "It's not as if your reputation as a trainer is on the line Frost. You did your best, and that makes you a winner. Winners aren't winners, unless they learn to lose,"

"I think our good friend Rourke would have a thing or two to say about that," Frost chuckled. "What I need is a strategy, I need Pokémon that can beat water. The mountains…yes..there should be some powerful Ice Pokémon up there, I best be off then," Frost jumped up, forgetting all about Candace and ran to the mountains for some rare Pokémon.

"Frost, you don't have a coat!" Megan called out.

"I'm a Mountain Boy! I don't need one," He shouted. Cyndaquil struggled to keep up with him. After all, only possessing four Pokémon would be a large risk to way against the might of the Elite Four. Not to mention every trainer he would have to battle first to get to them.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The higher he climbed, the colder it got. He was already beginning to regret not taking Megans advice. There was so much snow around him, he had a hard time seeing. Cyndaquil, being a cold blooded creature, was right at home. When they reached a level surface, they looked around to see whatever they could find. Frost had to make sure to be extremely quiet, less he frighten off the Pokémon that could reside up here. They circled around the rocks for quite a while before he found something special. A Froslass, what luck! Just sitting there, eating frozen plants.

Frost analyzed Froslass in his Pokédex:

 _Froslass: The Snow Cloak Pokémon. Froslass freezes its foes to a temperature of minus sixty degrees._

Frost pulled out his Pokéball, and sent Cyndaquil in there to attack. He spat a Smoke Screen, which didn't help, the area was already foggy, and he wind blowing did not help out either. Froslass stood up, and floated around the cloud. He didn't move, and instead waited for another attack. Cyndaquil leapt from behind him, and went right through him. Frost had forgotten that Froslass were duel type Pokémon, both Ice, and Ghost, so Normal attacks like Quick Attack, and Tackle were useless.

Froslass rolled his eyes, unimpressed by his attacker. Ice type attacks would not do any good either, what rotten luck. Frost sent out…Sneasel. He could have used Sneasel in the gym. Yes, nothing but good news for our hero today. Sneasel ran in, and gave Froslass a swift Slash attack! That one hurt him, and Sneasel gave him one more. Froslass tried to flee, but she was too hurt by the attacks to move very fast. In a moment, Frost had thrown the Pokéball, and it sucked him in. One shake, two shakes, three shakes, and Froslass was his. Frost wanted to cheer, but he wanted that, less than how much he wanted to start an avalanche. So he snuck quietly away.

Now, just one more. John for instance, had many Pokémon, Frost didn't even want to know how many, but he wasn't even close. John...if John hears about his defeat, there was no way Frost would ever hear the end of it. Best to keep that to himself, and between his friends. He sat and waited in a cave, behind a large boulder waiting for a Pokémon to wander close. After several hours went by, Frost had an idea. He reached into his bag and pulled out some food, and placed it over and away from them.

Now, he simply had to wait for some poor soul to take his bait. Not so much later, one did. An Abomasnow, more luck! What are the odds that he would catch two rare Pokémon in one day? With a little help from his Pokédex, Frost had acquired more information.

 _Abomasnow: The Frost Tree Pokémon. Abomasnow tend to live in snowy mountain tops, and create blizzards to stay camouflaged._

The Frost Pokémon? Appropriate, seeing how it was going to be Frosts newest Pokémon. Grass and Ice, Perfect combination to beat Candace. Frost sent Butterfree out to paralyze, and hopefully put it to sleep. She sprayed her different pollens over the Pokémon, who really took little notice. Butterfree then swooped down for a Tackle attack, and knocked him over, almost completely, but he caught his balance.

Abomasnow retaliated with a swift Wood Hammer attack, and Butterfree took it directly! Spiraling out of control, she did her best to spray more paralysis powder upon the target. Abomasnow still held his ground, and took another swing, this time missing. With one more spray of her Sleep Powder, Abomasnow fell into a deep slumber, and went into Frosts Pokéball with ease. Now Frost had everything he needed to challenge Candace again.

When Megan and Brett finally found Frost he has looking at his belt with six Pokéballs on it. "So you finally have a completed team huh?" Megan smiled. "What Pokémon were unfortunate enough to be caught by you?" She joked.

Frost chuckled sarcastically. "If you must know, I have just acquired an Abomasnow, and a Froslass," He bragged. Brett was most impressed at this. "Yes it would seem, that once again, destiny is on my…" before he could finish, he tripped over a rock, and slid down the slope of the mountain, screaming the entire way. When Brett and Megan found him, he was completely pale, and needed to warm up. So they set him in a warm tub at the Pokémon Center.

He was shivering something fierce, and could not speak. Megan poured some hot water into the tub. Frost was sitting in a chair with his feet in the water, and a towel wrapped around him. "Maybe next time, you'll remember to bring a coat," Megan shrugged. "So, you have everything you need to beat Candace?" Frost was too busy shivering to say anything.

"I can't believe you lost? John couldn't stop laughing, he is probably still laughing now," Brett bantered. Frosts thermometer glowed a fiery red. He spat it out and leaped out of the tub.

"John knows?! How did he find out? He's never going to let me hear the end of this!" He screamed. So loud in fact, that it woke up Nurse Joy, who was most irritated at all the noise.

"Why on Earth, are you all so loud? Go to bed!" She shrieked. Frost sat right back down, and they said nary a peep, until she was back in bed.

Megan chuckled. "What has got her goat?" She asked. Bret shrugged it off.

"Don't worry, she'll be in a better mood in a few days," He shrugged. They all went to sleep, and by the next morning, Frost was ready for his rematch with Candace. He had all of his Pokémon out, in a line.

"Listen up, we are going to battle Candace, for a chance to win her badge. My defeat, was fast and brutal. Which means my victory, has to be even faster, and at least twelve septillion times more brutal. Abomasnow, you have Grass and Ice moves, you are going to be our Go to Guy, understand?" Abomasnow nodded, and was ready for his first battle.

"Froslass, you will be my secondary weapon, if Abomasnow falls, you will have to win the battle for us," Frost continued. "We have fallen behind; the Pokémon League is in just five months. Yet, we still have many miles to travel. So we have to pick up the pace with these gym battles," Frost re-called his Pokémon, and ran to the gym. On his way in, he was taken by surprise as the door swung open, hitting him in his face. John came out grinning.

"Well, look who it is. Destined champion, turned loser," He chuckled. "Going in for a rematch I suspect, I sure hope you win this time,"

"You won't be disappointed John. Just go away," Frost groaned. "I'm trying to win a gym battle here, and I don't need you here to ruin it," He walked in the gym. John stopped him, and showed him the gym badge. It looked like a raincloud with a few drops of rain coming from it.

"This is the Hydro Badge. I got it on my first try. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm the worst trainer ever. So for me to get the gym badge, and not you…well that must be hard for you," John smiled. Frost was doing his best to not punch John in his clown face. Instead, he said nothing and continued into the gym. John left the building, once again taking the lead. Frost had too many things to worry about, without having to deal with that punk beating him.

Candace was there, and was smiling, still trying to be nice, even though she was taken back by how sore of a loser Frost was, despite his Monk heritage, and ideologies. "Welcome back," She greeted him. This time, Frost remembered his manners, and responded kindly, before requesting another challenge. Now he had a better chance of wining, now he was ready.

"Froslass, come on out!" He yelled, Froslass entered the field and floated on top of the pool. Candace sent out Gyarados, Frost was always impressed that a pathetic Pokémon like Magikarp could become a Pokémon with actual power and potential. "Froslas, use Hypnosis!" Froslass glided forward, and sent out her attack. Gyarados fell asleep quickly, and Froslass began to suck away its dreams. Gyarados cringed and struggled in its sleep, almost as if it was aware of what was happening. Gyarados was taken care of quickly, and Froslass stood there like a boss.

With only one Pokémon left to defeat, Frost was sure the gym badge was as good as his. Candace set forth Kingler, who Frost had been beaten by last time, Frost sent out Abomasnow. "Kingler, use Crab Hammer," Candace ordered. Kingler began to swing his iron claws at Abomasnow, who was too large, and too slow to avoid them! He held in there, enough to send out an Ice Beam attack! Kinglers left claw was caught in the ice, and he couldn't break free. Abomasnow beat him mercilessly with his Wood Hammer, which was super effective against a Water type Pokémon! Kingler didn't stand a chance, and Candace was at a loss for words, at how quickly she had been defeated.

"Well, that certainly was an interesting battle," she observed. "Congratulation, I guess," She pulled out the Hydro Badge. Frost was super excited, but before snatching it from her hand, he took a deep breath and relaxed. This was not his first gym badge, and certainly would not be his last. He took it, and thanked her, before he left, Candace told him something interesting. "Winning a battle is more than just having powerful Pokémon,"

Frost turned around, not really interested in what she had to say. "Then what is it about?" He asked churlishly. "I have things to do, and places to be," Candace was not flattered by him. In fact, she was quite displeased by his attitude.

"I will overlook your discourteous tone, if you heed to mine. You must remember that your Pokémon are your friends, not weapons. Even that other boy cared for his Pokémon more than you," She must have meant John. Frost could feel a fiery rage building up inside him. To think that someone with an IQ over zero would think that John was a superior trainer, nonsense!

"His name is John, and he is a horrid trainer! Absolutely atrocious. You take one look t him, and you know, that he is a total, complete, and an all-encompassing loser," Frost growled angrily. "Maybe you are just such a bad trainer that you decided to let him win. Just out of pity," He stormed out the door, and Candace was furious at his boorish behavior. Frost took a deep breath and enjoyed his most recent success. What a fool she was, a silly, incompetent fool. How could a Gym Leader be so stupid? Oh well, he had the badge and that was all that mattered. He had acquired his fifth gym badge, only three to go before he was able to register in the league.

He met up with Brett and Megan again, who were heading to the gym to see Frost battle. "So…how did it go?" Megan asked. Frost thought about his response for a moment before showing them his badge.

"Of course I won. After all, I am fantastic," Frost bragged. "I brought her to her knees in a minute flat!" He laughed. Megan and Brett exchanged looks. Frost was becoming more and more intolerable.

"Congratulations," Megan said, of course her compliment was halfhearted, as it should be. Frost took little notice and instead took to the road. His energy was at its peak, his enthusiasm was sky high, and his ego was almost as big as Santem itself.

"Frost is changing," Brett noted. "What is going on with him?" He looked to Megan for help. She and Clefairy were drinking some water. Clefairy took the canteen, much to Megan''s dismay, and drank what was left, and Megan rolled her eyes.

"I don't know, I better talk to him. No offense, but I know him better than you. I think I had better be the one who talks to him," She apologized. Brett understood, and so he followed her to catch up with Frost.

When they found him, Frost and Cyndaquil were passing by a valley. In the valley, was an old abandoned ghost town. Neither Frost nor Cyndaquil knew what it was, but when Brett caught up with him, Frost wished he hadn't heard about it.

That village, some hundreds of years ago, was an old mining town. Now, according to legend, some hundreds of years ago, there was a great flash of light that turned to fire, and incinerated all that was caught in it. No one knows what caused the fire, or what happened to those who were fortunate enough to survive, but some of the hear telling, rumors, and speculation cover in vague detail, a metal object ascending from the smoke. What it was, where it went, and why it was there, is a mystery.

"How many people dies in that fire?" Frost asked nervously. Brett's story was making him nervous, and he really did not want to stay by this place any longer.

Brett shrugged, not knowing the exact number. "I would say at least five hundred, maybe six," Frost took swallowed and continued walking.

Megan quickly stopped him. "Hey, Frost, can I talk to you?" Megan pulled him over behind a tree.

"What's going on?" Frost asked impatiently. "I have to get to the next gym as fast as possible," He grumbled.

"frost, have you noticed anything…different lately?" Megan asked. Frost looked around, he saw her, Brett, Clefairy, and Cyndaquil were playing. All was the same, there was nothing to notice.

"No, I don't, now that you mention it," Frost said. "What on Earth do you mean?" He questioned. Megan rolled her eyes, and groaned.

"Are you sure you don't notice anything? Nothing at all?" She insisted. "Because, Brett and I couldn't help but notice that you have been having an attitude problem lately,"

"What on Earth do you mean, attitude problem?" Frost crossed his arms stubbornly. "I don't have a problem," He snuffed.

"It's just that we are worried about you, Brett feels the same way," She told him. Frost groaned.

"Brett? He looks up to me, as he should. I am a Pokémon Master," He gloated.

"You're not a Pokémon Master yet," Megan reminded him.

"I will be!" Frost bellowed, which took Megan back, she did not expect Frost to be so belligerent. Frost took a deep breath. "I will be a Pokémon Master, and talking to you, is only slowing me down," He scoffed, and continued walking.

"Frost, listen to me," Megan begged. "You've changed, and not entirely for the better if I may say so,"

"I'm exactly the same, you're being obtuse," Frost retorted, not wanting to get caught up in an argument. "I'm going to be a Pokémon Master, and nobody is going to stop me. Not that they can, even if they try, I have the prophecy at my back," He sneered.

"You have changed. The Frost I met so many months ago would never be so pig headed. Nor would he be so rude to not only his best friends, but Gym Leaders. What has happened to you?" Megan cried. "Why can't you be the Frost you once were?"

Frost payed no attention, for the next city was only a few miles away. There, at the top of a hill, they could see Jeneville City. Quite a small place, a town really. Jeneville was where Frost was going, and the gym was waiting to be conquered.


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Frost and Cyndaquil sat by a tree for a while. He was contemplating what Megan was telling him. Cyndaquil was starting to notice it as well. Frost was more concerned about winning than the feelings and safety of his Pokémon. Could Cyndaquil even rely on Frost anymore? What would happen in the Pokémon League if this were to keep up? Cyndaquil got up and walked away, wanting to be by himself for a while.

Clefairy got up and joined him. They walked over to a stream, and sat and looked up at the sky. Neither spoke, nor looked at each other. The pair of them simply lay on the ground, looking up at the clouds, wondering about what lay past it, as Pokémon had no real knowledge about Outer Space. Clefairy was enjoying the good weather, but was doing her best to resist the urge to explore. Cyndaquil had taken to liking Clefairy over the months they had been together. Nice, cheerful, and full of energy, Clefairy was a true friend. Even when Cyndaquil was afraid, and he had been on several occasions, Clefairy gave him courage.

Cyndaquil smiled, and hoped that Frost and his problems would work out. So he took a drink in the river, and pretended not to worry about it. Far too many things to worry about. Team Rocket, the gym battles, John, and so on. He couldn't afford to let his emotions get the better of him. Still, he knew Frost was having a problem, and he wanted to do whatever he could to fix it.

Clefairy was also beginning to worry about Frost. She was afraid, just as Megan and the others were. She stood up, and returned to Megan, who was trying her best not to get upset. Though, Frost had changed a lot, and she really wanted to cry. He was a totally different person. Neither Pokémon knew what to do, so they just hoped that Frost would work everything out himself. After all, being away from home for so long, and enduring the dangers that he had, would make anybody irritable. Frost was up ahead of them, and that's just what Megan and Brett wanted. Perhaps Frost just needed some space.

Actually, Frost was feeling fine. He could not see what the big deal was about his behavior. He was an omen, and had a destiny to claim. He could behave any way he wanted, and that was that. "Hey guys, let's go! Try to keep up," He called back. Megan and Brett picked up the pace, not too much, but just enough for Frost to leave them alone. By dusk they had made it to Jeneville City. Megan was hoping there was a contest in the city where she could compete. She worried though, that Frost would run straight to the gym, and then drag everybody out of the city when he got his gym badge.

Was she not important to him anymore? Was she only there to support him? She didn't know if Frost still considered her a friend, or just a cheerleader. Brett though now would be a good time to take a break. He let out all of his Pokémon, as did Megan and Frost. Jeneville City was a beautiful place though, and Frost could at least acknowledge that as a fact. He lay down and look at the sun set. This got him thinking deep thoughts, what happens when we die, are we alone in the universe, and other such subjects.

Megan, all the while was with Brett, and they were playing with the Pokémon. Cyndaquil, Clefairy, Skiploom and the others. Ralts and Froslass hit it off quite nicely, but Zubat and Abomasnow did not take too kindly to one another. Pidgeotto flew into the air with Zubat and they went hunting. Linoone and Skiploom went to play by a tree, perhaps an improvised version of hide and seek. Flygon and Koffing had promised to do their best to not cheat, as they had the ability to fly, but they were not allowed to play. Koffing went to be by himself, and Flygon went to join Cyndaquil and Clefairy.

Megan was looking at Frost for a good long while, contemplating what to do. She didn't want Frost to be angry forever, if he even was angry. There had to be something she could do. She was out of ideas, until Sneasel sat down next to her. Then she had an idea, she could help Sneasel evolve! Megan quickly pulled out her Pokédex to get information on how to evolve Sneasel. All she needed was a Razor Claw, and to power her up at night.

Out in the wild, finding items dropped or thrown out by trainers is common, but finding a specific item that one needs, is particularly challenging. Perhaps Jeneville contained one. She still had plenty of money she earned from helping Rourke, she could just buy one. Money is a fantastic thing, she fully understood Rourke's obsession with it. Now that she had a plan, she did not want to tell anybody, not Brett, and certainly not Frost. This was supposed to be a surprise. The only ones in on it, were Cyndaquil, and Sneasel. They had everything set up, and just needed to get moving again.

"Frost! Can we please get moving now?" Brett called out. Frost stood up, and rejoined them.

"I suppose we should get moving, should we not?" He said. They recalled their Pokémon and started walking again. Maybe Frost just needed a break from moving. After all, just walking from one city to another would get anybody irritated. Megan knew her surprise would cheer him up, at least a little. "We cannot stay long, it is going to be in and out," Frost told them.

"If there is a contest in this city, I should like to compete in it," Megan told him. Frost groaned, much to Megans irritation.

"We don't have time," He told her. "I am here to win the gym badge, we can't stay for long Megan, I'm sorry," He apologized.

Megan got angry. "I came along with you, to find competitions, and compete. I'm not here for the gym badge," She told him. "I will compete, and you are going to have to deal with that," She put her foot down.

"Then you better keep up, because I'm not staying any longer than I find necessary," He told her. Brett could sense the impending argument, and went ahead with Cyndaquil and Clefairy.

"I think its best that we stay out of this," He told them. Clefairy and Cyndaquil climbed up on his shoulders.

Megan and Frost were arguing about the contest. "Frost, do I mean nothing to you?" Megan asked. "Do your friends mean so little to you, that you would rather win on your own, than with our help and support? The Frost I know, the Frost that came from the Eribek Mountains, would never be so pig headed,"

"I'm the same Frost you met all those many months ago, Megan. I haven't changed one bit," Frost defended himself.

"No, no you are not," Megan scolded. "You've changed. You cannot see what you have become," She sighed. "Please try to understand what I'm trying to say," She begged.

"You have nothing to say that I am obligated to listen to. Now be quiet while I think of a plan to beat the gym leader," He barked. Megan stood there angrier than ever as she watched Frost storm off.

Brett, Cyndaquil, and Clefairy were pretending not to notice Frost as he stomped past them. He didn't look back, not even a passing glance. By the time they got to the city, they had gone their separate ways. Megan began looking for a contest to enter, Frost looked for the city's gym, and Brett went sightseeing. While passing by a park, Frost decided to stop and relax. He sat underneath a tree, and started to meditate.

He intensified his focus, and nearly shut out everything around him. He shut his eyes, and drifted into a realm of thought. He was alone, in his mind. Frost found himself back home in the Eribek Mountains, with the rest of his Monk companions. Master Hu was there, Sage Guilette, and the rest. However, there was no Cyndaquil. No Pidgeotto, no Butterfree, all of his Pokémon were gone. He approached Master Hu, who was eating a lovely roasted ham meal and a glass of red wine.

"Master Hu, have you seen my Pokémon?" He asked. Master Hu. Hu took no notice. "Master Hu…" Frost reached out to touch him. When he did, his hand went right through him. Hu then disappeared. He just vanished. So did everybody else, leaving Frost alone, in a large and empty room. "Hello!" He called out. His voice echoed and reverberated off of the walls. He ran up and down the stairs, through the passages and trails, and found nobody.

He was all alone. He found nobody anywhere. In the corridors of his home of old, the statues, and sculptures were replaced with machines. He continued down the steel halls, and entered a room. Inside the room, was a sort of device with several limb like attachments circulating around a solid white lectern, creating a pulsating energy like glow around a cylindrical object. When the steel machines stopped spinning and the lights dimmed down, Frost could see that the object was in fact, an egg.

He walked up to see what would come out, but before he got too close, the egg was acquired by an arm. Frost had never seen anything like it before. It was quite long, longer than any human arm, and its veins were throbbing. Plastic tubes ran through it and wires connected it to a metal body hidden by a big chair, and obscured by the poorly lit room. Upon close examination, Frost realized that whatever the arm belonged to, was picking up the egg. Frost could not see very well, and what he could make out was the egg hatching. Out came a silver fluid that began to solidify. Groaning and shrieking, the substance began to rise up, and it shrieked even louder. The fluid began to take shape, with several streams that diverted from the mass of it all. When the streams solidified, they resembled something like legs.

What was it? What was this place? Frost did not wait to find out, he took off running! He could hear strange, mechanical voices all around him. Speaking in some dialect he had never heard before. He ran out of breath, and stopped cold. What he saw was a creature whose existence was only legend, a terrifying monster that only the most twisted of fears could possibly comprehend. It stood there, perfectly still, but it opened its eyes releasing a blinding white light. Frost had to cover his in order to avoid going blind. The creature reached out his bio-mechanical limb to touch Frost. Before making contact, Frosst gasped, then he opened his mouth even wider than he had ever before and let out a powerful scream of terror before he woke up and found himself in the Pokémon Center. Megan and Brett were there by his side.

"What happened?" Frost asked. He was in a bed and Nurse Joy was giving him a sedative.

"You were in the park, and someone picked you up, they said you were shaking uncontrollably. So you were brought here," Megan answered. "You must have had an anxiety induced panic attack,"

Frost did not know what to make of it. "I…I was in the park, meditating. I saw myself in a room. I can't remember anything after that,"

"Try not to think about anything right now," Megan whispered. "Just relax," Frost took a drink of water, and lied down. By the next day, Frost was feeling much better. He then knew it was time to claim the next gym badge. After he left wiht Cyndaquil, Megan saw her opportunity, and quickly ran to the nearest stores to find a Razor Claw. She told Brett she was going shopping, and to try clothes on, which did not sound very fun to him. She managed to find a supply shop just up the road, and ran in hoping that they had one. Inside, they had a large range of items. From different types of balls, to medicines, to miscellaneous goods.

They however, did not carry a Razor Claw. So she left and went to look elsewhere. She passed many a store before she was stopped by a man in black. Before she knew what was happening, she was surrounded by Team Rocket thugs.

"Where do you think you're going?" One of them asked. They giggled and came in closer. "I hate to do this to you, but our boss grows impatient. He wants your Pokémon, and that special Cyndaquil, today,"

"How do you know of Cyndaquil?" Megan demanded. Perhaps their employer had been after Cyndaquil for a long time. No doubt this man heard about Cyndaquil from Clayton and Talia. "Cyndaquil does not belong to you. Neither you, nor your boss can have him. So why don't you just give up?" She yelled.

Megan had hoped she would get the thugs to leave her alone. However, he smiled wickedly. They were growing more restless, more aggressive. "You know we can't do that. We are not the only soldiers here. In this city alone, there are over a thousand of us. We do what we can, and what we want. What we want, is Cyndaquil. Now give him to us, or we will kill you," He pulled out a gun and pointed it at Megan. She stepped back against a wall.

"We don't want to kill you," One of the goons said. "But you don't comply with us, even our boss has tried on several occasions to get your little beasts. Just make it easier for us, and we won't kill you right away," He snickered devilishly. "It would be so much simpler if you just gave it to us,"

Megan drew one of her Pokéballs. "If you want him so bad, come and get him!" She threatened. She threw her ball and set Ralts loose upon them. Each Team Rocket grunt sent out a Pokémon. Now Megan had done it, she and Ralts and Clefairy were up against an Arbok, a Crobat, a Mismagius, two Houndoom, and a Skarmory. Megan was outnumbered, with no hope of escape. She then called upon Clefairy and Zubat. Arbok slithered in and took a nice bite out of Clefairy! Skarmory swooped in with a Wing attack on poor Megan, and one of the Houndoom rushed in at Ralts with a body Slam!

Crobat cornered Clefairy who was struggling to use Metronome. Her luck had been poor before, so she was sure she was going to get it. Crobat prepared to give a Poison Fang attack and got a direct hit in! Clefairy quickly felt the poison take effect, but gave Metronome one last go. Before Crobat could attack again, Ralts intervened with her Tackle attack. Clefairy struggled to stand as both Houndoom and Crobat came after her. Megan was helpless, and was grabbed by two of the goons. Clefairy was too afraid to do anything about them. The Houndoom and Mismagius took her down, and brought her to the goons. When Ralts was eventually taken down, the grunts dragged the captured Megan and her Pokémon to their base.

Brett, at the time was exploring the city, and found Frost who was celebrating his success over yet another gym leader. "Brett look, I just got the Wyvern Badge! I can't wait to show Megan," He gloated.

"That's great," Brett smiled. "Where is Megan by the way?" He then asked.

"What do you mean? Was she not with you?" Frost asked confused.

"Before you left, she told me she was going shopping. That was several hours ago, and she has not yet returned," Brett told him.

"Well then she's still shopping," Frost chuckled. "You know how girls are with their shopping, and dresses, and what not. Come on, let's go find her," He smiled.

"Frost," Brett called. Frost turned around.

"Yes, what is it?" He asked. Brett took a deep breath.

"If Megan wen shopping, she ought to have returned by now, wouldn't you agree?" Brett said.

"I suppose she would, yes," Frost answered.

"Then where is she?" Brett pressed. "I went looking for her an hour ago, she was not at the mall, I fear something has happened to her," Frost took a breath, and looked to Cyndaquil, who was also beginning to worry. "We better go find her,"


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The two of them searched high and low for their missing friend. In the streets, in shops and buildings, in even the darkest and disgusting alleyways imaginable. However, there was no sign of Megan or Clefairy and no such clues could be found as to their whereabouts. Cyndaquil could not pick up on their scents either. Now Frost was annoyed, as he did not want to waste time looking for someone who was smart enough to not get lost in the first place. He had no business complaining, for she would have done the same for him.

"I wonder what could ever have happened to her?" Frost pondered. "You say that she went shopping several hours ago. What time exactly?" he asked. Brett shrugged.

"I would say maybe around one or two," He answered, even he was not sure.

"Well its five now, and you have been searching for her for about an hour wouldn't you agree?" Frost thought. He knew that Brett was not on the same page he was, but there was little to go on, and therefore even less to be lost on. "That means she must have gone missing between one and four. In two hours, she could not get so far that she still cannot be found," Frost sat there on the curb and thought and thought and thought. Brett and Cyndaquil just sat there, trying to figure out what Frost was getting at.

"Perhaps if we search the area, you know, do some detective work? We can be regular sleuths," Brett suggested. "There must be someone who has seen her. Even if it was just a passing glance, there must have been somebody,"

They stood up, and looked around, just down the street, were several shops. Frost and Brett went in to one of them; a record store, and asked the Counter Runner if he had seen Megan. "What does your friend look like?" He asked glumly.

"She's about five feet tall, give or take a few inches, blonde hair, and let me see…I think today she was wearing a white blouse and jeans. Oh yes, she had a Clefairy with her," Frost tried to describe her. The Counter Runner nodded his head.

"Yeah, I think I saw someone like that pass by a few hours ago, said she was looking for a Razor Claw or something. I told her we sell music, and she left," He told them. That was all the information he had to offer, so Brett and Frost thanked him for his time, and they went on their way. Frost was wondering why she would be looking for a Razor Claw. Those are pretty much useless unless used to…evolve Sneasel.

"Brett, do you know what Megan went shopping for?" Frost asked suspiciously. Brett shook his head.

"No, she just told me it was for cloths and junk," He answered. "She didn't tell me anything else," Frost grinned, even though he figured Brett was telling the truth. He began to see exactly why she went shopping.

"Well, I'll fill you in. Megan, has apparently gone missing, looking for a Razor Claw so that I could evolve my Sneasel," Frost told him. "So we had better look in stores that sell items of that nature," Frost scurried down the street with Cyndaquil and Brett close behind. Each store they went to, neither had seen Megan, or knew anybody who might. In just two hours, Frost thought, Megan could not have gotten far, even when running as fast as she could. Jeneville was not a particularly large city either. Finding someone should not be a chore here. Soon, Frost and Brett had given up, by seven o'clock at night, they had accepted their failure, and gave up.

"Now wait a minute, why don't we call the police?" Brett asked. "After all, it's their job to protect the people,"

"Yes I suppose it is," Frost agreed. "However, I do not think that the police will have a better job at finding her than we did. After all, we asked every shop owner in the city. I don't suppose there is anybody left we can talk to," Frost sighed. The pair of them returned to the Pokémon Center where they were staying, and Nurse Joy did her best to comfort them after a hard day.

"I'm sorry to hear about your friend. I hope you find her soon," She did her best to comfort them, the two of them were doing best to keep their spirits up. "I hope that she is alright," She sighed and returned to the back room to attend to a sick Pokémon. A Hypno, Frost suspected from the looks of it.

"Frost?" Brett whispered. "I hope Megan is okay," He yawned. Cyndaquil cuddled up with Frost on his bed.

"Me too," Frost whimpered softly. He had tucked himself and Cyndaquil in the blankets. He felt guilty, that Megan had gone missing because of him. She went to find something for him and now she's gone. Where did she go? She is smart she is strong and tough. Too smart and tough in fact, to get lost. Which must mean that she isn't lost at all, she was kidnapped! Who would want to kidnap a child? Jeneville was not widely known for abductors or criminals. Even in the worst parts of town, the most common form of criminal activity was hustling. A very low level crime, but a crime none the less.

Jeneville is not a dangerous place, there was no reason to be concerned about criminals. Or maybe, just maybe…that is exactly why nobody on this good Earth would suspect a crime wave. "Brett, I think we had better dig a little deeper," Frost suggested.

"How do you mean?" Brett asked. "We did what we could," He tried his best to fall asleep.

"Well, Jeneville is a very safe city, is it not? Well who do we know that can move about unnoticed?" He sat up in the bed and got up to turn on the light.

Brett covered his eyes when the lights came on. "I don't know, now please, if you would, turn of the light will you?" He groaned.

"Don't you think its mysterious that Megan would just vanish? Something is amiss in this peaceful city. Something is amiss indeed," Frost paced back and forth for a moment before turning back to Brett, who was still trying to sort the whole thing out.

"You don't suppose that Team Rocket may be at the back of it, do you?" Brett guessed. "That must be it, they must be behind it all," He concluded.

"Oh I'm sure that those fiends are involved, one way or another," Frost sneered. "Perhaps we better pay them a visit, and see what they are up to,"

The two of them left the Center, and started looking for any sign of their enemies return. Down the busy city street's, they searched. Past all of the innocent people, unaware of the great evil that lurked within their very home. Now that Frost thought about it, Jeneville was the perfect place to have a criminal hideout of some sort. Perhaps that is why Team Rocket was able to thrive. Perhaps that is why Team Rocket was able to take hold of Santem.

Frost thought it only logical that they take up residence in a more well-known city such as Palendome or Calviton. Though he knew that Team Rocket must be stopped at whatever cost, he had to give them kudos for being able to remain enigmatic to the authorities, to the government. They must be up to something, but what? Clayton and Talia said that Cyndaquil would have been very valuable to their employer, whoever he was. Cyndaquil was important to them, for one reason or another.

"Frost, where do you suppose a gang like them would have a hideout?" Brett asked. "We may need help finding them, and even more help stopping them," Brett looked around at the buildings and such, trying to guess where he would put a criminal headquarters. Frost knew that he was right, they did need help, as much help as they could accumulate. There was one person who may be able to help, and if Frost knew him as well as he thought, he would be in Jeneville by now.

By the gym, Frost and Brett ran in at just the right time. There was John, talking to Brandon, the gym leader, just after winning the Wyvern Badge. "Have you come to try your luck?" He asked. "Even I had trouble with those last two," The gym leader smiled.

"I only do my best," He said." As far as your friend here is concerned, he has already won," He shrugged. "Frost here is a very good trainer,"

John groaned. "Yeah I guess he is. So if you have the badge already, why did you come back?"

Frost stepped forward, and noticed that Sentret was giving him the stink eye. "Megan has gone missing. We need your help to find her," John was not interested, and instead laughed.

"What makes you think I would help you find your friend? I'm sure she can take care of herself," He scoffed. Frost was not so sure he meant it, and frankly, neither did John.

"She isn't just missing," Brett told him. "She was taken. She was abducted by Team Rocket," When John heard this, he turned down his attitude a bit. "She has been taken, and we need help to find her,"

Brandon looked at both of them. "Well look, if you ever get in to trouble, or need help, just let me know. I will do what I can," He told them.

John and Sentret exchanged glances, then they looked at Frost. "Look, she is your friend. Besides, you are the most powerful trainer in the world, you don't need help," He snarled. "Sentret, we are leaving," Sentret hopped on his shoulder and they left. Frost and Brett would have to handle this on their own. "The nerve of that guy! What a selfish jerk," He cursed.

"I'm sorry that boy won't help you, but if you need help, don't hesitate to let me know," Brandon reassured them. "If this Team Rocket is as dangerous as you say, then you'll need all the help you can get," Frost and Brett thanked Brandon and left the gym. Brett and Cyndaquil insisted upon getting the authorities involved, but Frost tried to convince them that the police would be of little help until the situation and threat would be fully realized. Team Rocket was not a group to underestimate. Their grip was tightening on Santem, who knows what else they would seek. Kanto? Sinnoh? Even Johto would certainly fall against their immense numbers and relentlessness.

"How do you expect us to stop Team Rocket?" Brett asked. "We don't stand a chance against them, there could be hundreds, maybe even thousands of them. What do you think we should do?" He complained.

"We have got to try, besides, I'm the greatest Pokémon trainer of all time," Frost bragged. "Besides, Megan needs help, she can't handle them on her own. She needs us,"

There were few places that could possibly be the home to a group of thugs. The two of them looked in several laundromats, a couple of pizza joints, and a bank. They found no evidence of Team Rockets whereabouts. Their search continued all across Jeneville for almost three days. Three days on their trail, and nothing to show for it. They had no clues, no ideas, they were completely exhausted.

Frost and Brett were sitting in the local library, not having any idea what to do now. Perhaps there still remained one possibility left to be explored. There must be something, anything they could do. Surely there must be someone that could help them. Officer Jenny? What good would the police be? They would not be of help without more information, and so far, Brett and Frost had none. Where could they be hiding? Frost looked around at the citizens, just ordinary, plain folk.

Frost suspected that the reason Team Rocket was so elusive was because they hid in plain sight. Just like their first encounter with the group in Camwell with that nightclub scam. Perhaps they were scattered throughout the city. No doubt they had encountered members without realizing it. Then it hit them, they had seen members before, in those public places. Libraries, movie theatres, bowling alleys, the works. Their only problem was exposing them to the authorities without being caught by them.

Now, as far as Megan was concerned, she was having a bad time of it. Her Pokémon, including Clefairy had been confiscated, and taken to some other place for something the goons referred to as treatment. No doubt some cruel experiments. Megan was, at that time, kept in a storage closet in what she could only guess was a warehouse. She was cold, and she was hungry, and had no way to call for help. She looked around the room she was in. Scattered throughout were containers of radioactive materials, some crates of unidentified contents, just simply labeled Lab Storage.

Megan began to put the pieces together. Team Rocket was not just a group of thugs and criminals. They were building an army. Pokémon are powerful enough as they come. Let alone those who are super charged with pure nuclear energy. Powered by unnatural means, they could be super weapons of pure destruction. Who then could stand against the might of Team Rocket? Who would dare stand in their way? Megan knew what they wanted, but their direct interest in Cyndaquil still mystified her. Before she could ponder the information further, a group of grunts came into the room.

"Our employer wishes to meet you," One of them snickered. "You are coming with us," He sent two goons to grab Megan, and as much as she pulled and resisted, she could not break free. The goons took her into a nearby elevator, and they went up to the top floor of what Megan guessed was a skyscraper. She was take into a cozy room, which looked way too friendly and welcoming for a group like Team Rocket.

She was thrown into an arm chair by the window. For a single moment she was able to break free of their grip and try to escape through the window. Looking out she could see the Pokémon Center just a block and a half away. She could see the city for miles, she was so high up. Down below, the cars and people were barely visible, escape was futile. One of the goons put her back in the chair. "Our boss will be here in a few moments, so stay here, or you'll be sorry," He ordered, slamming the door behind him.

She was beyond scared at this point. Nowhere to go, nowhere to hide. She could only pray, that Frost and Brett would come to help. Before she could make a desperate escape, the door opened and a man walked into the room. "Hello my dear,"

Megan was in a state of bewilderment. "What are you doing here?"


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

There was no time to lose! Frost and Brett ran to the Police station, where Officer Jenny and several other officers were busy discussing important police business of sorts. Our heroes rushed in, much to the surprise of the officers. "Officer Jenny, and the rest, we have a reason to believe that an evil organization has infiltrated this city!" Frost cried. Officer Jenny had no idea what to make of his claims. "They call themselves, Team Rocket, and they are here!"

"Now hold on," Jenny stood up. "What are you talking about? What is Team Rocket?"

Frost groaned. "Team Rocket is an organization. A criminal organization bent on world domination. They've kidnapped our friend, and we need help to find her," He pleaded. Officer Jenny was still not up to speed on the whole situation, but knew enough to be willing to help. She and three other officers each brought out their Arcanine units and were ready to catch these goons.

"So, where is this organization you speak of?" One of the officers asked. "If you prove wrong on this, you'll be in a world of trouble," He warned.

"I'm not wrong. Team Rocket is here, Jeneville is a peaceful city, that's why they chose it as their HQ. Nobody would suspect that an organization like that would be in here. Oh you've got to believe us. We have seen and faced the likes of them before," Frost pleaded. "If they are not stopped, who knows what will happen to the world?"

"You have some imagination boy," One of the officers snickered. "There is no way any organization that big could exist without us, or someone finding out about it,"

"That's exactly the kind of thinking that let them thrive in the first place," Brett groaned. "The reason that they came to be was because no one would suspect their upbringing! We can't do this alone. There may be thousands of them, and their breeding an army,"

Officer Jenny stopped and turned around, holding on tight to her Pokémon's leash. "An army? How powerful is this Team Rocket? They must be dangerous, but why don't they reveal themselves?" She asked.

Frost did not know what to say. Why did they choose to remain a secret? "Well, I just have no idea. They must still need something…" Frost looked down at Cyndaquil, who was talking to one of the Growlithe, and then it hit him like a fifty caliber bullet; Cyndaquil. Clayton and Talia had said once that their employer needed Cyndaquil! He must be the key to the whole thing. "They need Cyndaquil! I don't know why, but the head of Team Rocket wants my Cyndaquil. He must be after Cyndaquils power," Frost speculated.

Officer Jenny and the officers were still unclear as to what Frost was talking about. So he called Cyndaquil over, and he ignited his purple flame. Everyone gasped when they saw the little Pokémon spit a beam of ice onto the ground. When Officer Jenny took a deep breath and calmed down a bit, she asked "Why would Team Rocket want this?"

"Cyndaquils power is an anomaly. A phenomenon, a shift in his DNA. I can't explain it, but his genetics are a diversion from Fire type Pokémon," Frost told them. Nurse Joy could not describe it, Rourke's scientists and researchers had no idea what it was about, and if Rourke couldn't figure it out with his immeasurable genius, there was nothing left to do but quit. Cyndaquil was to put it simply, a miracle. Ever since Frost found him in the mountains, he has been a good omen. Whatever Team Rocket needed, was somewhere inside Cyndaquil. Well their boss can want him as much as he wants, but Frost would never forsake Cyndaquil to those criminals.

"Frost is telling the truth, officer," Brett told her. "Besides, our friend was taken by them. So she ought to be enough to keep you busy. Frost and I can take care of Team Rocket if that is how it must be, but Megan is our friend, and we are going to rescue her one way or another," He put his foot down. Frost stepped up next to him, and would not leave until the officers gave them a straight forward answer. Officer Jenny gave it to them, and they exited the police station.

So much for "Protect and Serve,", utter poppycock! So that was their last hope for help. I suppose they still had Brandon at their back, but getting word out to him in a time of need would prove difficult. Brett and Frost knew then, that they had to find a way to take down Team Rocket by themselves. How could two children take down an organization? Megan made three, but their odds were still against their favor. Perhaps…well at any rate, it was hopeless.

Several days went by on their plan to rescue Megan. Every detail had to be perfect. By the sixth of April, they had everything set up. They decided to start at the biggest building in town, named Cortex Industries, most known for their designs of cars, and trucks and such. Just a block and a half away from the Pokémon Center. They had several smaller places scattered across, giving easy access to shipments of parts, or anything else. Cortex was perfect for an underground group like Team Rocket.

They made their way into the lobby, and were careful not to be seen by the secretary. Though, as they headed for the stairs, Frost caught eyes with one of the workers, they glared at each other as Frost and Brett headed to the next floor. That was when Frost knew they were in the right place. They passed by several rooms, and only stopped when they heard some people talking.

"Looks like the boss's army is almost complete," Laughed one.

"Not until he gets his grubby little hands on that Cyndaquil," Said another.

"You don't suppose he will get him, do you?" One asked.

"Maybe, but we still have control over here, Kelivarth, and soon Palendome will be under his control," said the other. "If he figures out what he needs to know, he may not even need the stupid beast,"

Frost and Brett had plenty of information. Now, all that was left was to find Megan. "Brett, you and Cyndaquil should search here. I'm going upstairs for a quick peek," Frost whispered.

"I do hope we find her. She's awfully pretty," Brett smiled. Frost shrugged. He had to agree, but her safety was more important than her looks. So they went off to get incriminating evidence. Frost got up to the next floor, before finding a room that had a sign posted to it. Top secret, indeed. He snuck right in. The room was dark, but when lit, there were several canisters filled with withered and decomposing bodies! Of all types of Pokémon. One had an Empoleon, one had a Leafeon, one had a Kricketune, and one had a Raichu.

What could Team Rocket be up to? Super charging Pokémon? A new form of evolution, their bodies were misshapen, as if they were not done growing, done changing. Frost examined the bodies, all of which were dead. As he passed by, he heard people talking in a back room. He snuck in as quietly as he could and hid behind some tubes and wires connected to a machine. They had a Pikachu tied to a chair.

"Grab the stone and begin the transfusion," One of the scientists ordered. Frost could hear the Pikachu struggling to escape. Frost could see through small spaces between the scattered cords, one of the scientists pull out a rock, a small gray rock with a yellow mark in the middle. Another scientist grabbed a blade, and cut the Pikachu's arm, exposing blood. Pikachu squirmed and struggled, but it was held down tight. The scientist with the rock, pressed it against Pikachu's wound. Frost squatted behind the tubes not wanting to see what would happen next.

"Looks like this Pikachu is defective," One of the scientists groaned. Frost was breathing hard, and stopped breathing completely when a loud gunshot filled the silence. Frost had to escape before he was caught. He needed to find Cyndaquil and Brett and escape as soon as possible! He slithered over to the door, praying none of those people would see him. They didn't, and he made it back to the room with the tubes and bodies.

He was just about to leave and regroup with Brett and Cyndaquil before he was grabbed through the door by a group of grunts. He kicked his holder and struggled to outwit them! He jumped back and ran behind the tubes with two on his tail! Running back and forth trying to wait and see for any opportunity to slip past them. There was no hope, as he was grabbed by two more goons and pinned against the wall! He groaned and struggled to move, but everyone froze when a bellowing voice deafened them. "What the hell is going on here?!" The voice belonged to, of all people; Rourke. What on Earth was he doing here? It didn't matter, Rourke would help him.

"Rourke! Thank goodness your here! Help! Please Help!" Frost begged. Rourke looked beyond puzzled at this whole mess. "Have we met?" he asked sarcastically. Frost finally began to realize what was going on. Rourke put a gun to Frosts chin and examined his captive. "Ah yes, now I remember. The Mountain Boy!" He smiled.

Frost felt a fiery rage row with in him, and jumped at Rourke! In quick retaliation, even for Rourke's age, he gave Frost a quick slug to his gut! "Rourke, you two faced…" frost was too winded to finish his insult.

"I'm so sorry about this harsh welcome old boy, but I couldn't have you skulking about, when we give your feeble friends their treatment," He sneered. His goons reached into his bag, and took all of his Pokéballs.

"What, what are you doing? Why?" Frost groaned, still trying to get his wind back, quite a powerful swing for an aging businessman.

"Why? For complete and total domination of course," He pulled out something from his pocket. Frost could see it was the very stone he and his friends went and fetched for him. "Actually, I must say that I owe it all to you, my boy. Couldn't have done it without you," He put the rock back in his pocket. "Lock him up with the others," Rourke ordered. The goons took Frost away. Left to an uncertain future.

Now, let us back track several days, my guess would be the twenty ninth of March, when Master Hu was still examining the old processing plant. He had managed to find his way to the front room. He had just about given up. Maybe Master Qui-Lei was right. Maybe the Zetigrah were imaginary. He found no sign of any threat in here of any kind. He passed by another hall. Fine then, just a clean sweep through this hall, and then he would accept defeat. He passed by a small room, and went in. Still nothing.

He was on his way out, when he felt a light breeze. Before he knew what was happening, he was swung up into the air and pinned against a wall! Cords and wires flew out and tied him down tight! Out from behind a small cabinet stepped something. When the figure came into the light, Master Hu was shocked to see Deoxys with his arm raised holding the old man in place! Next to him, emerged Heatran. Two Legendary Pokémon under the Zetigrah's control.

"Where is your master?!" Hu demanded. The captors did nothing, and instead turned towards the doorway. Master Hu turned his head as much as he could. In stepped a tall figure dressed in black cloak, with a hood covering his face from sight. The Zetigrah had Master Hu as his prisoner!

"You have been busy of late, my friend," The Zetigrah rasped. With that, he turned to his Pokémon. "Make sure he stays here," He turned around and he left the room. Master Hu screamed furiously, as the Zetigrah closed the door behind him with a clang.

 **Note:**

 **I must confess, this is where The Long Way 'Round comes to a close. Don't fret, there will be plenty of time to hear of how our heroes escape in part three titled: Union of the Titans. I promise you, that even though their situations look dim, they still have a fighting chance. So hold on tight, because Frost is in for the surprise of his life, as is the rest of the gang.**

 **Sincerely,**

 **Johnny Gu Wop.**


End file.
